Reduce NRW with a tailor-made package of solutions & services

Targeted missions for diagnosis or technical support to reduce water leakages and loss.

For example, we have carried out a NRW diagnosis and defined a tailor-made action plan in Doha (Qatar).

Contracts where payment depends on achieving agreed and measured results regarding NRW reduction.

For example, in São Paulo (Brazil), we were awarded 7 successive performance-based contracts in different areas to reduce non-revenue water. For all the contracts, our results went beyond the NRW target. For instance, for the water supply sector, the NRW was at 41% at the beginning of the contract. The target was set at 30%, and we reached 24% of NRW at the end of a 5-year period. This performance was achieved by operating the entire value chain, ranging from diagnosis and effective leak detection management to infrastructure operational capabilities and deploying a hydraulic simulation system to study and optimise the city’s water supply.  

Comprehensive operation and maintenance of the network.

For example, in Versailles (France), we preserve water resources by reducing the NRW to less than 10%. We prevent pipe bursts by optimising pressure management and detecting leaks on the drinking water network of the local water syndicate.

In Macao (China), as well, we manage the water service including 570km of water network, and we have reduced the NRW from 18% to 7%. 

Non-revenue water (NRW) represents the amount of water lost in drinking water distribution systems that is not billed to consumers. It encompasses physical leaks as well as commercial losses and is a major challenge for water operators around the world.

A lack of knowledge of the network, misuse of data, inefficient management of distribution system pressures, outdated infrastructures… multiple factors can explain why so much potable water worldwide fails to reach customers, despite efforts undertaken in that field.

Optimising the management of water resources is a global issue, which is turning into a matter of urgency. Climate change, population growth, rampant urbanisation... the pressure on water resources keeps increasing.

According to the International Water Association (IWA), if the world’s volume of NRW was reduced by only one-third, the savings would be sufficient to supply 800 million people. The financial cost of non-revenue water is estimated to 39 billion dollars per year, according to the IWA.

Reducing leakages and water losses in water distribution systems is crucial to preserve the water resources, to limit the financial costs related to the production and distribution of water and to ensure a sustainable supply of potable water for users.

To reduce losses and optimise drinking water distribution, the full-value cycle must be considered: from diagnosis to the efficient management of leaks, assets and billing. Thanks to our historical expertise in the management and optimisation 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.

A NRW reduction action plan addresses all the departments of the utility (operations, customer service, procurement, RH, legal, etc.). The action plan must be adapted to the current level of NRW and the types of losses identified and fit the utility’s situation (financial resources, network condition, HR skills, geological environment, topography, habitat density, etc.). 

Operational know-how regarding all the business processes related to network management is a key competency.

As a major player in water services worldwide, SUEZ has been supporting cities and utilities in the development of essential water, sanitation, waste collection and recovery services for more than 150 years. Many competences are needed to effectively reduce non-revenue water: on-site diagnosis, effective leakage reduction, pressure management, accurate customer billing… Our experience in the management and optimisation of water networks allows us to develop efficient and innovative solutions adapted to each local context.