Beat the Leak: Save Water

Non-revenue water (NRW) is the water produced, treated & cleaned, pumped, but lost in the water distribution system, never reaching its final destination. This means water not used or paid for, affecting economies of water utilities as well as putting pressure on already declining fresh water resources. The problem is universal, ranging from NRW levels of about 5% to as much as 80% in certain areas. India with such a large country has almost 50% as average NRW across cities. In terms of volume, it works out to be 3.4 trillion litres of cleaned water lost every year.

To reduce the level of water loss and NRW, we need to make sure that as much water as possible stays within the network. But what are the typical causes to water loss, and the available options to prevent it. The following 10 steps could be helpful in reducing NRW level in water utilities.

1. Aim for efficient leakage control: Leaking pipes and equipment, i.e. due to bursts or breaks, are the primary causes to water loss. When a leak occurs it can take days, weeks or even years before it is noticed, and tracing the exact area in a huge distribution network is not an easy task. Applying latest technology and sensors will support in doing so.
2. Divide the water network into sections: Trying to cope with water losses in the complete distribution network at once would therefore also mean working in a reactive, passive manner, where activities are initiated only when a loss becomes visible or is reported. Dividing supply network into separate sections, also referred as district metering areas (DMA) is an efficient technique to obtain a valuable overview of what is going on below the ground. Water losses can then be calculated in the sections individually, and utilities are able to better plan and prioritize their efforts.
3. Quick assessment and repair: With this separation of the network, operators can act more efficiently and target issues immediately. With quick assessment, vital resources are saved, and network activities are swift, causing fewer disturbances for all the network customers depending on a continuous supply of water.
4. Monitor network activities: Leakages can easily be detected through sensors integrated in supply line with control room. It will alert the operator about the sound of leaking with precise points. And by applying smart, intelligent sensors to key assets in the network, the system can collect data for valuable insights for informed decision making.
5. Take control of the network pressure: Pressure management is considered the single most beneficial and cost-effective leak management technique. The higher the pressure, the more water lost through bursts or leakages. Furthermore, most pipe bursts occur not only because of high pressure, but rather due to ongoing pressure fluctuations forcing the pipes to continuously expand and contract, resulting in stress fractures. For pressure management, control valves are essential. Control valves are regulating valves, able to maintain certain pressure, flow or level regardless of changes in the supply network. Therefore, they can assist in reducing water losses while upholding the best conditions for the network equipment.
6. Use all the available data, and think smart: A water utility has to ensure safe and reliable drinking water supply for its consumers. Water utilities have installed smart consumer meters that can measure water consumption, which is very important for correct billing and for reducing the level of NRW. To be able to do so, they need to ensure reliable operation and functionality of the water distribution network and be able to react quickly when unwanted changes occur. By implementing smart water solution to key network assets such as valves and fittings, data can be delivered directly to a dedicated software platform where they are turned into valuable insights, saving both time and resources.
7. Set an NRW limit, and follow up: There should be target to reduce the NRW to an acceptable level and work to achieve that in a time bound manner. It makes sense to set an intervention limit, determining the level at which NRW becomes unacceptable. Once the intervention limit is reached, the teams should be sent in to detect and resolve losses. Generally, once the utility manager deploys teams into the DMA, they can reduce the NRW level within few weeks.
8. Look for ways to tackle illegal consumption: Water theft, illegal connections and unauthorized use is a major issue in all cities across the world. Applying the DMA structure is an efficient way to obtain overview of where illegal consumption takes place throughout the network. Also, there are practical ways to secure easy targets such as service reservoirs and hydrants; through constant monitoring, they should be able to set off an alarm message when any tampering is done.
9. Quality products and solutions: Based on all the above mentioned, it makes sense to stress the fact that high-quality products and solutions are the backbone in any efficient water system. The expenses and complications linked to choosing poor quality and easy fixes far exceeds the ones of an investment in a solid, well-planned solution.
10. Training and education: Water being a critical issue, we need to create more awareness of the well-proven techniques to manage water in the utmost efficient ways. The utilities must have highly efficient balance in the way they handle water’s complete journey throughout; from source to tap and safely back into nature. This also includes viewing all aspects of the journey and the potential they offer; as an example, wastewater treatment plants are able to obtain energy-neutrality by utilising the by-products from their own treatment process. By using the sludge for energy production, they can create enough energy to run the plant's processes - and sometimes even other utilities' as well.

To assure a well-equipped water sector ready to meet the needs of tomorrow, we need to create good conditions for knowledge-sharing. This not only covers technical solution insights, but also a focus on introducing this greater, holistic view on water to the people who will become decision-makers, engineers, constructors and field workers etc. on future water projects.

SPML Infra strongly focuses on combining the strengths for the innovation of even better solutions. It has already proven that smart technique and efforts put in the right direction will bring desired results by executing a water loss project in Bengaluru where it has been able to save at least 50 million litres of potable water every day while bring down the NRW from 57% to 26%.

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