Non revenue water reduction and control: building sustainable cities by taking action against water losses

Deploying an efficient management of non-revenue water not only allows water utilities to deliver a better service to consumers and enhance their financial performance, but also helps them to meet their environmental objectives and be more sustainable in the long term.
Taking action against non-revenue water

Reducing non-revenue water: why is it important to take action?

Optimizing the management of water resources is a global issue, which is turning into a matter of urgency. Climate change, population growth, rampant urbanization... the pressure on water resources keeps increasing. While having access to clean drinking water is a key issue for citizens, the distribution of drinking water is a major concern for local authorities and operators.
Non-revenue water, which refers to water supplied to the system but not billed to consumers, is a phenomenon that can be explained by multiple factors: a lack of knowledge of the network, misuse of data, inefficient management of distribution system pressures, outdated infrastructures…

40

%

The shortfall in freshwater resources by 2030 coupled with a rising world (Source : UN)

800

million

If the world’s volume of non-revenue water was reduced by only one-third, the savings would be sufficient to supply 800 million people (Source: IWA)
800
billion m3/year
Non-revenue water represents nearly 50% of the average flow of the Ganges River (Source: IWA)

39

billion dollars/year
The financial cost/value of non-revenue water (Source: IWA)

Implementing an efficient non-revenue water strategy brings you multiple economic and environmental benefits:

Improve the service
Optimize investments
  • Reduce leakage and their damages
  • Provide service to more customers for longer hours
  • Improve tap quality, by reducing contamination
  • Better knowledge of the water network
  • Increase supply continuity
  • Reduce the need for massive investments in treatment facilities
  • Optimize investments for asset maintenance and renewal
  • Reduce the investments for new water sources
Improve the environment
Increase the revenues of the services
  • Reduce demand on water resources
  • Reduce energy footprint and green house gas emissions
  • Increase revenue due to the sale of saved and previously unbilled water
  • Decrease energy needs and operational costs
A 360° approach from data to asset servicing

Our answer: a 360° approach, and solutions that are tailored to your needs

To reduce losses and optimize drinking water distribution, the full value cycle must be taken into consideration: from diagnosis to the efficient management of leaks, assets and billing. Thanks to our historical expertise in the management and optimization of water networks, we provide a 360° approach and a proven methodology to help reduce non-revenue water through support in the data management, assessment, planning, coordination and implementation of action plans.

From data to asset servicing: we propose an integral offer covering the entire value cycle

We leverage a unique combination of expertise, technologies, digital tools and on-field services to support you in enhancing the performance of your water assets, extending their life cycle, reducing risks of failure and improving your financial efficiency.

This expertise allows us to implement tailored solutions to meet your specific constraints and requirements, and define the optimal (CAPEX, OPEX) actions combination:
  • Spot Leaks predicts, detects & locates leaks combining advanced inspection technologies with data analytics. (AQUADVANCED ®)
  • Net Vision allows you to inspect and invest at the right place, at the right time thanks to a data driven assessment of your network.
  • Calm Network optimizes the pressure of your network to prevent bursts and reduce leakages while extending assets lifespan. It is based on a new generation of sensors developed by Inflowmatix (see opposite picture), that can measure those abnormal variations of pressure
  • Opti Revenue reduces commercial losses and improves sustainability based on machine learning.

Choose the contractual form that best suits your need

Contractual innovation, combined with technological, societal and digital innovation, is our trademark. From a diagnosis or field service to the full implementation of the strategy for NRW in a management contract, we adapt our partnerships to local needs and requirements:
  • Consultancy
  • Specific services
  • Performance-based contracts
  • Partial or full NRW strategy implementation
Our references

Discover how our non-revenue water expertise is deployed on a global scale

In France, preserving water resources in 31 towns in the Versailles area

How: Preventing pipe bursts by optimizing pressure management, and detecting leaks thanks to 700 connected sensors on the drinking water network of the Aquavesc water syndicate, supplying 520,000 inhabitants in the Yvelines and Hauts-de-Seine regions.
“Calm Network will enable us to interpret the data from our sensors and avoid major pressure variations. This will limit damage to the pipes, and will also be beneficial for the user, who will have a more regular pressure at the tap”, Erik Linquier, President of the Aquavesc water syndicate

Save 960 000 m³ of water in the area of “The Grand Poitiers” over 2 years

How: The implementation of smart metering and real-time monitoring of drinking water supply networks. Learn more.

In the United Kingdom, supporting South Staffs Water in their efforts to reduce leakage by 15%

How: Supplying a non-invasive satellite leak detection service on 6000km of distribution and trunk main pipeworks. Learn more.

In Brazil, save 20 million m³ of water in 5 years in Sao Paulo 

How: Operating across the entire value chain ranging from diagnosis and effective leak detection management to infrastructure operational capabilities and deploying a hydraulic simulation system which is aimed at studying and optimizing the city’s water supply. Learn more.
Do you want to go further? 
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François FIGUERES

Water Network Solutions Owner francois.figueres@suez.com