Developing a Non-Revenue Water Reduction Strategy Part 1: Investigating and Assessing Water Losses

Abstract: The gap between the sophisticated Non-Revenue Water reduction programmes in well managed water utilities and the situation in many of the world’s water utilities (and especially in utilities in developing countries) is widening at a fast pace. In the last decade a comprehensive set of analytical tools, water loss reduction strategies and specialised equipment has been developed. The work of the IWA Operation and Maintenance Specialist Group in general and its Water Loss Task Force in particular has led to a set of performance indicators ideally suited to assess the water loss situation and to quantify the components of NRW. This paper is the first part of the outline of a basic NRW reduction strategy and is intended to motivate utility managers to establish a standard water balance, calculate the level of NRW, quantify its components and identify main problem areas. A separate paper, part 2 of this strategy, will deal with the planning of the strategy and its implementation