Recently, I was changing the shower head in our 40 year old bathroom tub. My wife then noticed the floor was wet where it met the front edge of the tub. Thinking I must have disturbed the shower head receptacle, I opened the wall behind the shower, which is in the linen closet. After determining that the shower head fitting wasn't leaking, I opened the wall behind the mixing valve- again no leaking there. Then I opened the bottom access panel and looked for water leaking from the drain- not there either but the floor was soaked at the place where the outside edge of the tub side meets the floor. After letting it dry for a few days, I had my wife shower while I watched for leaks.. sure enough I saw some DROPS coming out of the area caulked between the front edge of the side of the tub where it meets the wall. But when I looked into the access panel, the floor was again soaked where the bottom of the front edge of the tub met the floor. I stuck my camera phone inside and snapped a picture which I am pasting below. It appears to show a PIPE that is molded into and under the top edge of the tub and takes a 90 degree bend and follows the contour of the tub to where it meets the floor where it appears to terminate. If this tube is a conduit for water that certainly could explain the amount of water I am seeing but I have NO IDEA what the pipe would be for. It appears to begin in the center of the front edge of the tub. Does anyone have any idea what it might be for? I am guessing regardless of what purpose it was supposed to have, that it has rusted and now is just a major leak. Any information or suggestions are very much appreciated... Thanks for your time. Both pictures are taken from inside the access panel. The first is looking up at the top corner of the tub and the second is looking down at the same corner where it meets the floor.