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Reducing Nonrevenue Water in Asia
NRW Problems, Solutions, Statistics1

The root of Asia’s NRW problem lies more in the poor governance of water utilities, rather than the failure of technology or multiple pipe leakages.
NONREVENUE WATER IN ASIA

NRW PROBLEMS IN A NUTSHELL
  • NRW includes water not billed as a result of leakage, illegal use, inadequate measurement, and free (authorized) use.
  • NRW averages 30% of production in Asian cities, but ranges from 4% to 65%.
  • High NRW is connected to low piped water coverage.
  • There is a need to determine whether physical losses (leakage) are maintained to mask the illegal use and sale of water.
  • Illegal sale of water from utilities can generate revenue equal to legal sales.
  • Consumers pay for utility inefficiencies.
  • A precious and scarce resource is being wasted.
  • Unnecessary investments in production are made.

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NRW SOLUTIONS IN A NUTSHELL
  • Governance and tariffs must be tackled first.
  • Leak detection equipment comes last, not first.
  • Repair visible leaks.
  • Make utility staff responsible for small zones (caretakers).
  • Meter all water production and consumption properly.
  • Add district metering.
  • Provide incentives for utility staff performance.
  • Explore links to water vendors.

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NRW IN ASIAN CITIES

In 2005, the South East Asian Water Utilities Network (SEAWUN) began a multi-phased benchmarking program that involved 47 water utilities in Southeast Asia. The results for NRW rates are as follows:


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  1. The contents of this article are based on Chapter 9 of Asian Water Supplies: Reaching the Urban Poor written by Arthur McIntosh.