Non-Revenue Water

It's hard to believe in 2 weeks we will be in South Africa!  We have been actively researching the topic of water loss and speaking to IBM's many experts in this area.  Many municipalities across the global are challenged in dealing with high levels of Non-Revenue Water or NRW.  NRW is water which has been produced and is lost before it reaches the customer.  Losses can occur for many reasons such as leaks, theft or meter problems.

 Some staggering facts about water loss from the Miya Group:

1. 2007 was the first year in which more than half of the world's population lived in urban areas.
2. Water consumption is expected to increase by 40% by 2025.
3. Over 1.4 billion people do not have access to clean safe water.
4. By 2025, one third of the world's population will be affected by water shortages.
5. More than a third of the world's drinking water supply is lost from municipal distribution systems before it reaches the consumer.
6. Every year over $18 billion worth of water is considered Non-Revenue Water.
7. In many developing countries the percentage of lost water is well over 30%, reaching even 80% in extreme cases.
8. Every year, more than 32 billion cubic meters of treated water physically leak from urban water supply systems around the world.
9. Only 10% of leaks are visible; the vast majority of leaks cannot be seen above ground.
10. If we manage to reduce NRW by just one half, over 130 million additional people would have access to fresh clean water.

Interestingly enough, Singapore has the lowest water loss in the world at 5%.  I wonder how they reached such low levels and if any of their best practices can be financially feasible for Tshwane?  Gotta keep digging....

#ibmcsc