Unaccounted for water : manual of practice

Within the framework of the Communal Enterprise Management and Service Delivery component of the USAID Good Local Governance project in Montenegro, this comprehensive manual of practice for improved leak detection was elaborated to develop strategies to avoid unaccounted for water. It treats water loss and water demand management and explains the difference between real and apparent water loss.

Metering is an essential component of an effective water loss optimisation program. Water flows must be accurately measured, if they are to be quantitatively traced in the path that they follow from source to customer. Metering of the water flow, at all appropriate points in the water supply system, is fundamental to sound and responsible water management

To understand water balance in a water supply system an example generalised water balance calculation seeks to identify the destination and uses of all water entering a distribution system; the first step in the process of valuing water as a finite resource that has a cost associated with every unit produced. A simple set of tables provides an example of how the water balance components, along with specific water system data, are used to calculate various technical and financial performance indicators.

A summary overview of pressure management and its relationship to water loss is presented, together with a brief discussion of pressure management techniques that can be applied to a water supply system. The purpose of water audits and leak detection are explained and the basic steps involved in conducting a water audit are outlined.