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Designing a Non-Revenue Water

Reduction Strategy for Efficiency,

Resilience and Sustainablity

1Water Ideas 2016: Bologna, 20-21 October 2016

Malcolm Farley

Malcolm Farley Associates

Water Ideas 2016: Bologna, 20-21 October 2016 2

There are smart and capable engineers and

technicians in water utilities across the world

So, it follows that a NRW reduction strategy can

be introduced into any water utility network

But what causes a strategy to fail?

How can a strategy be sustained?

Some examples of failings and corrections!


Smart technologies are not always the

answer because……….

In some utilities, the things that sustain smart or

advanced technologies are often lacking:

- A well developed infrastructure

- Funding for spare parts

- Awareness and focus on NRW

- An understanding of zoning and the DMA concept

- A ‘powerful’ NRW Department with experience and

know-how

Back to Basics


Step 1Ask some questions about the volume of NRW:• How much is being lost? • is it from leaks in the pipe network?• Is it loss of income to the water company?

Step 2Examine the characteristics of the network and the company• What are the company’s operating policies and practices?• Identify the root causes of NRW and what can be done to reduce it

Step 3 Develop a relevant and appropriate NRW reduction strategy tailored to that particular water company

Ghana Water 2006-2011

Aqua Vitens Rand: Operators

Electromagnetic

system input meters

Pilot DMAs in Kumasi with

telemetered EM meters

Pilot DMAs in Accra with

mechanical meters


In 2011 the NRW programme

was discontinued – why?

� No NRW Department

� Lack of capacity and know-how

� Lack of funding (and motivation) to maintain the NRW

programme

� No Active Leakage Control (no vehicle or equipment)

� Contractual issues – production meters never

commissioned

� Lack of spare parts

� Service contracts not renewed


Ghana Water NRW Reduction

Programme 2013-2014

� 12 month programme to support Ghana Water with their

NRW Reduction Programme

� Funded by UK Government

� Managed by WSUP (Water and Sanitation for the Urban

Poor)

� Some limited funding for expert consultancy support and

equipment purchase

� Two pilot DMAs in Accra and Kumasi

� What can we do differently to sustain the programme in

future?


So where did we start?Accra:

3 DMAs selected for pilot area

DMA chambers in place and

- well designed by AVRL

Some meters working

- others not!


New ‘low cost’ equipment purchased


New mechanical meters/replacement heads and sensorsBasic data loggers to measure night flows

DMAs



Small meters for customer night use survey- Accuracy tests- Replacement programme- Unregistered and illegal use



Portable clamp-on ultrasonic meter- Measure production volumes- Check flow rates of installed meters



Leak detection• Basic listening sticks (20 euros)• Advanced leak detection equipment not

yet appropriate• Improving network infrastructure:

pipes, valves and contact points

Sensor Contact Point


Basic data logger and sensor


Night flow measurement and data analysiscombined with customer night use survey

Kumasi – Telemetered DMAs

(high cost, high maintenance)

• Good chamber design• EM meters all working• Battery failure• Data logger problems• Service contract lapsed• Telemetry discontinued


New equipment purchased


Kumasi:- Audit of all meter sites by company engineers- List of spare parts needed - Lithium batteries purchased- Spares for meter data loggers and communication units- Reinstated service contract (first year only – written undertaking by Ghana Water to renew for next 4 years)

Results and Successes!� NRW Manager appointed to head new NRW Department

� Highly motivated and knowledgeable

� Working pilot DMAs in Accra and Kumasi

� Night flow data being collected from Accra DMAs

� Customer night use surveys ongoing –unregistered and illegal

connections

� Meter tests leading change out policy

� Leak detection training for all regions completed

� Network being strengthened by re-furbishing valves and

installing contact points

� Portable ultrasonic meter used continuously for production

measurement (and water balance)

� More abandoned DMAs being ‘discovered’ and refurbished



NRW Department Structure


Training workshops, awareness seminars and field

training are essential for motivation, capacity building

and skills development


Review of company operating practices

and DMAs

GIS and Hydraulic Analysis departments

(cooperation)?

- Is there a calibrated model?

- How are DMAs designed?

- Are DMAs installed?

- Are there meter chambers (condition)?

- Are the meters still in place (fixed or temporary)?

- Are boundary valves in place (boundary closed)?

- Are there pressure monitoring points installed?

Egypt Real Losses Reduction Strategy: 2014-2016

Review leakage monitoring and detection equipment


Leak Detection


All ACs practise leak detection surveys and have:

• A leak detection department with staff that are motivated to

find leaks

• A range of leak detection equipment

• Portable ultrasonic flow meters to measure DMA flows

• But staff only gather total flow data and make no use of night

flow data as a guide to ‘leaky’ areas

DMA Management


Not all ACs have DMAs installed. There is a

wide range of DMA development:

• Some ACs have DMAs that are in the design stage only, needing

network model support

• Some DMAs are fully functional with working fixed flow meters and

closed boundary valves (and SMS data transfer)

• Some DMAs have meter chambers with meters removed

• Some chambers are buried and/or flooded

• Very few pressure monitoring points

Previous DMA Projects


Several ACs have had DMA pilots implemented in earlier programmes

Most of these are no longer being used or are defunct – why?

- Portable flow meters have been taken for other uses

- Boundary valves have been opened

- No funding for spare parts

- Night flow monitoring and analysis not fully understood, only

total flows measured

- DMAs remain at the design and implementation stage

So how can this programme be more successful in implementing

and operating DMAs?

Sustaining DMAs


Sound design using validated data and a calibrated

network model

Education and awareness training so that all staff

understand the DMA concept

Permanent fixed flow meters (A DMA without a meter is

not a DMA!)

Boundaries that are ‘tight’ and permanent

Regular operation and maintenance

Success in using night flow data to prioritise areas of

leakage


• Assess the awareness, motivation and capability of the staff

• Review the network characteristics and the utility’s operating

practices

• Get as much data and information from the network as

possible

• Work with the information we have within these parameters

and accept the limitations of the network

• Do as much as we can to gradually improve the data

• ‘Drip feed’ technology and systems at the right time

• Use ‘appropriate’ technology until the utility is ready for

‘smart’ technology

Lessons for Future Projects?

Roland’s* 12 Key Mistakes


• No Water Balance

• Wrong PIs

• Unrealistic targets

• Poor strategy (ask the four questions!)

• Underestimation of budget needed

• No monitoring in place to measure success

• Insufficient time for preparatory phase

• Failure to ensure institutional changes (eg NRW

department)

• Lack of full-time, dedicated NRW staff

• Lack of experience (all levels)

• No staff incentives

• Reluctance to outsource NRW management

*Roland Liemberger: Water Loss 2014, Vienna

Conclusions


1. Start from where you areWork with what you haveDo what you can

2. A DMA without a permanentmeter is NOT a DMA!

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