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Proceedings of the<br />

2 nd Regional Workshop on<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction in<br />

<strong>Water</strong> & Sanitation Utilities<br />

South East <strong>European</strong> Countries<br />

16-18 November 2009, Sofia, <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Co-editors: Reza Ardakanian<br />

José Luis Martin-Bordes<br />

Proceedings No. 4<br />

UNW-DPC Publication Series


Editors Reza Ardakanian, Jose Luis Martin-Bordes (UNW-DPC)<br />

Language editor Lis Mullin Bernhardt, Patricia Stadié (UNW-DPC)<br />

Layout Tanja Maidorn (UNW-DPC)<br />

Print bonnprint.com, Bonn, Germany<br />

Number printed 500<br />

Photos copyright UNW-DPC<br />

Proceedings Series No. 4<br />

Published by UNW-DPC, Bonn, Germany<br />

January 2010<br />

© UNW-DPC, 2010<br />

Disclaimer<br />

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the agencies cooperating in this project.<br />

The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the<br />

expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the UN, UNW-DPC, UNU, UN-HABITAT and BWA<br />

concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the<br />

delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.<br />

Unless otherwise indicated, the ideas and opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily represent<br />

the views of their employers. Please note that the views reported from the group discussions derive<br />

from discussions between different participants attending the meeting. As such their appearance in this<br />

publication does not imply that all participants agree with the views expressed, although group consensus<br />

was sought where possible. The contributions contained herein have been lightly edited and re-formatted<br />

for the purpose of this publication. The publishers would welcome being notified of any remaining errors<br />

identified that the editing process might have missed.


CapaCity Development<br />

for improving <strong>Water</strong> effiCienCy<br />

Proceedings of the<br />

2 nd Regional Workshop on<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction in<br />

<strong>Water</strong> & Sanitation Utilities<br />

South East Europe Countries<br />

16-18 November 2009, Sofia, <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Co-editors: Reza Ardakanian<br />

José Luis Martin-Bordes<br />

Proceedings No. 4<br />

UNW-DPC Publication Series


TABLE OF<br />

CONTENTS<br />

Forewords 7<br />

BWA 9<br />

UNW-DPC 10<br />

UN-HABITAT 12<br />

Opening session speeches 15<br />

BWA 17<br />

UNW-DPC 19<br />

UN-HABITAT 22<br />

Ministry of Environment and <strong>Water</strong> of <strong>Bulgaria</strong> 24<br />

Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works of <strong>Bulgaria</strong> 25<br />

Background, objectives and partners 27<br />

Background 29<br />

Objectives 29<br />

Workshop partners 31<br />

Introduction of chairpersons and speakers 33<br />

Workshop papers 43<br />

Keynote paper 45<br />

Economic aspects of drinking water loss reduction within Integrated<br />

Urban <strong>Water</strong> Management (UWM)<br />

Prof. Dr K.U. Rudolph, Coordinator of UNW-DPC Working Group on<br />

Capacity Development for <strong>Water</strong> Efficiency 47<br />

Case studies 53<br />

Map of participating countries 55<br />

Albania<br />

Development and Delivery of a <strong>Water</strong> Loss Control Training Course<br />

Ms Elisabeta Poçi, Program and Training Manager, <strong>Water</strong> Supply and<br />

Sewerage <strong>Association</strong> of Albania 57<br />

Albania: city of Korca<br />

The case study of the Korca <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage Company<br />

Mr Petrit Tare, Director, Korca <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage Company 62<br />

Bosnia & Herzigowina-Montenegro<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Loss situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro<br />

Mr Djevad Koldzo, Unaccounted-for <strong>Water</strong> expert, Hydro-Engineering<br />

Institute Sarajevo 63


<strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Innovations in mitigating water losses<br />

Mr Stefan Zhelyazkov, Executive Director of Stroitelna mehanizatsia<br />

AD, Kazanlak 67<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong>: city of Sofia<br />

Analysis of water consumption and water losses in DMA 348,349 and<br />

840 in Geo Milev residential district, Sofia<br />

Prof. Dr. Gantcho Dimitrov, Head of <strong>Water</strong> and Sanitation Dept.,<br />

University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia 73<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong>: city of Kardzhali<br />

An efficient decision for the reduction of water losses and number of<br />

damages in the lower part of the town of Kardzhali<br />

Prof. Dr. Gantcho Dimitrov, Head of <strong>Water</strong> and Sanitation Dept.,<br />

University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia 78<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong> - Italy<br />

A free water balance software – <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n version<br />

Ms Gergina Mihaylova, Studio Fantozzi 83<br />

Cyprus: city of Lemesos<br />

Application of Key Technologies for <strong>Water</strong> Network Management and<br />

Leakage Reduction<br />

Mr Bambos Charalambous, <strong>Water</strong> Board of Lemesos 89<br />

Czech Republic<br />

A conceptual approach to water loss reduction<br />

Mr Miroslav Tesarik, Project Manager, Danish Hydraulic Institute,<br />

DHI a.s. 93<br />

Czech Republic<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Loss Management: Veolia’s experience in the Czech Republic<br />

Mr Bruno Jannin, Project Manager, Veolia 100<br />

Greece<br />

A Paradigm Shift in <strong>Water</strong> Loss Audits<br />

Mr Stefanos Georgiadis, Assistant General Manager, Network<br />

Facilities, Athens <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewage Company S.A. 101<br />

FYR Macedonia: City of Skopje<br />

Experience gained and results achieved through active leakage control<br />

and pressure management in particular DMAs in the city of Skopje<br />

Mr Bojan Ristovski, Director of Leak Detection Department, On-Duty<br />

Center and Call Center, P.E. <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage-Skopje 107


Malta<br />

Managing Leakage in Malta: The WSC Approach towards Quantifying and<br />

Controlling <strong>Water</strong> Losses<br />

Mr Nigel Ellu, Regional Manager, <strong>Water</strong> Services Corporation 113<br />

Romania: city of Timisoara<br />

Case Study regarding the implementation of the water loss reduction<br />

strategy in Timisoara<br />

Mr Mihai Grozavescu, Assistant Director, S.C. AQUATIM S.A. 119<br />

Romania: city of Satu Mare<br />

Non revenue-generating water at SC Apaserv Satu Mare SA – Regional Company<br />

<strong>Water</strong> and Sewage Services<br />

Mr Sava Gheorhe, Mr Claudiu Tulba, Project Manager of WWTP-PIU,<br />

S.C.APASERV SATU MARE SA 124<br />

Republic of Serbia<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction in R. of Serbia: practical experiences and<br />

encountered problems<br />

Mr. Branislav Babić, Faculty of Civil Engineering University of<br />

Belgrade 131<br />

Turkey: city of Antalya<br />

District Metered Areas (DMAs) for the Management of <strong>Water</strong> Losses in<br />

Antalya City<br />

Prof. Habib Muhammetoglu, University of Akdeniz, Faculty of<br />

Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering, Antalya 138<br />

Turkey: city of Antalya<br />

Monitoring and Management of <strong>Water</strong> Distribution Network in Antalya City<br />

Mr Ismail Demirel, Head of SCADA Branch, Antalya Metropolitan<br />

Municipality, Antalya <strong>Water</strong> and Wastewater Administration (ASAT) 143<br />

Experts and institutions 149<br />

DWA<br />

The German experience to investigate sewer networks<br />

Mr Johannes Lohaus General Manager of the German <strong>Association</strong> for<br />

<strong>Water</strong>, Wastewater and Waste (DWA), Germany 151<br />

DWA<br />

Creating a concept of rehabilitation of a pipe system<br />

Mr Jörg Otterbach, WVER, German <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> of <strong>Water</strong>,<br />

Wastewater and Waste (DWA), Germany 152


EWA<br />

Tools for capacity development: the experience of the <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Association</strong><br />

Ms Boryana Dimitrova, Management Assistant, <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Association</strong> (EWA) 156<br />

UN-HABITAT<br />

Lessons learned from regional <strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction Capacity Building<br />

Programmes and their Implications for <strong>Water</strong> Operators’ Partnerships<br />

Ms Julie Perkins, Programme Officer, UN-HABITAT 157<br />

i2O <strong>Water</strong><br />

Pressure Management Mechanics: understanding the relationships between<br />

pressure and water loss<br />

Mr Stuart Trow, Consultant and Non-Executive Director, i2O <strong>Water</strong>,<br />

United Kingdom 158<br />

i2O <strong>Water</strong><br />

Intelligent Pressure Management: a new development for monitoring and<br />

control of water distribution systems<br />

Mr Stuart Trow, Consultant and Non-Executive Director i2O <strong>Water</strong>,<br />

United Kingdom 165<br />

CEOCOR<br />

Cost efficient leakage management in water supply systems<br />

Mr Max Hammerer, Klagenfurt, Austria, Representative of CEOCOR<br />

<strong>Association</strong>, Belgium 173<br />

DLR<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Efficiency and <strong>Water</strong> Management – a Shared Responsibility<br />

Dr. Dagmar Bley, <strong>Water</strong> Strategy Initiative Office at Project Management<br />

Agency of DLR, Germany 180<br />

Annexes 181<br />

Workshop programme 183<br />

List of participants 190<br />

Photo Gallery 203


Forewords


<strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />

I am very glad to present to you the outcomes of<br />

the Regional Workshop on “<strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction<br />

in <strong>Water</strong> and Sanitation Utilities” for South East<br />

Europe countries, which was successfully held in<br />

Sofia, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>, on 16-18 November 2009. It was a<br />

very fruitful experience for all of us.<br />

As many of you know, the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Association</strong> is the biggest NGO in the water<br />

sector in the country. Our members are local<br />

water utilities, companies operating in the water<br />

sector, as well as individuals – academics and<br />

water practitioners, including young professionals<br />

and students. Our mission is to actively assist in<br />

the pursuit of adequate, nationally responsible<br />

and EU-oriented water policy in the country,<br />

through the authority and capacity of its members.<br />

BWA represents <strong>Bulgaria</strong> in the most eminent<br />

international branch organizations and maintains<br />

bilateral contacts with the respective organizations<br />

in a number of <strong>European</strong> countries.<br />

We are pleased that BWA was one of the organizers<br />

of this workshop together with UNW-DPC and<br />

UN-HABITAT. I can inform you that the average<br />

water loss in the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n water distribution<br />

systems is more than 60 per cent. In some of the<br />

11<br />

countries of South East Europe, the situation may<br />

be similar, while in others the efforts to control and<br />

reduce water losses have proven to be successful, as<br />

the case studies included in this publication show.<br />

This is the main reason for organizing this event<br />

and compiling these proceedings, with the hope<br />

and belief that these three days helped provide<br />

answers to many questions and will help us in our<br />

future work on reducing water losses.<br />

On behalf of the Governing Board of BWA and<br />

myself personally, I would like to thank UNW-<br />

DPC and UN-HABITAT for their efforts to make<br />

this workshop become a fact. I also thank our main<br />

sponsor, the Infra Group Ltd., the representative<br />

of Superlit in <strong>Bulgaria</strong>. I wish you an interesting<br />

reading.<br />

Asssoc. Prof. Dr. Valeri Nikolov<br />

President<br />

BWA


12<br />

UN-<strong>Water</strong> Decade Programme on Capacity<br />

Development<br />

It is a great pleasure to present in these proceedings<br />

the outcomes of the 2nd Regional Workshop on<br />

“<strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction in <strong>Water</strong> & Sanitation<br />

Utilities” countries in the South East Europe<br />

(SEE) region that was jointly organized by UNW-<br />

DPC, UN-HABITAT and the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Association</strong> (BWA) in the city of Sofia, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>, on<br />

16-18 November 2009.<br />

This workshop represented another positive<br />

step towards implementing the original<br />

recommendations of the International Workshop<br />

on „Drinking <strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction: Developing<br />

Capacity for Applying Solutions“, co-organized<br />

with UN-HABITAT and held on 3-5 September<br />

2008 in Bonn, Germany. The setting up of regional<br />

workshops on improving urban water efficiency,<br />

such as this one in Sofia and the ones held in<br />

Latin American countries (Leon, Mexico), and the<br />

forthcoming workshop for Arab countries in Rabat,<br />

Morocco, on 20-21 January 2010, is having the<br />

effect of creating a living regional and inter-regional<br />

network of practitioners and organizations that are<br />

able to disseminate their knowledge and experience<br />

in reducing water losses, across the world.<br />

UNW-DPC joined hands with UN-HABITAT<br />

and the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> (BWA)<br />

in this workshop as a means of collecting data,<br />

documenting best practices and developing<br />

recommendations as to the most promising<br />

approaches for more efficient management in the<br />

field of water and sanitation with a focus on water<br />

loss reduction. Lessons already learnt from previous<br />

workshops indicate that these approaches will most<br />

likely be those that incorporate the development of<br />

sound institutions and strong cooperation in order<br />

to apply the best available technical and managerial<br />

solutions.<br />

More than 100 participants, including top and<br />

mid-level managers and professionals from water<br />

utilities, met in Sofia to share their experiences and<br />

best practices regarding their water loss reduction<br />

programmes. Representatives from water operators<br />

in cities from the following countries in the SEE<br />

region and neighbouring countries participated<br />

in the workshop: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina,<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong>, Greece, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro,<br />

Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Hungary,<br />

Malta, Germany, Austria and United Kingdom.<br />

They discussed the most promising approaches and<br />

the challenges and barriers that the water operators<br />

are facing in their daily efforts to increase water<br />

efficiency and reduce water losses in the water<br />

distribution systems.<br />

With the results of this first regional workshop,<br />

UNW-DPC hopes to advance in the search for<br />

applicable solutions and to encourage follow-up<br />

projects and help to establish communication<br />

between the policy makers, water managers<br />

and researchers in the region. The results of


this workshop will be largely disseminated and<br />

presented at international fora such as the 5th<br />

World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro in March<br />

2010.<br />

My thanks go out to the contributing experts,<br />

whose ideas and experiences are to be found in<br />

this publication. I would also like to thank both<br />

UN-HABITAT for what is becoming a fruitful,<br />

long-term collaboration in this field of urban water<br />

management, and our hosts, the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Association</strong> for supporting the setting up of what I<br />

believe will mark another important milestone on<br />

the path towards improved urban water efficiency<br />

for all.<br />

Dr Reza Ardakanian<br />

Founding Director<br />

UNW-DPC<br />

UN Campus, Bonn, Germany<br />

13


14<br />

UN-HABITAT<br />

There’s a lot of weight on the shoulders of water<br />

operators’ these days. As always, we count on them<br />

to provide essential basic services, efficiently and<br />

affordably. But increasingly, they are being looked<br />

at as water stewards and principle actors within the<br />

water cycle who are counted on to minimize their<br />

impact on an increasingly sensitive and depleted<br />

environment. In light of growing demand and<br />

increasing scarcity, it has never been so important<br />

for water utilities to operate efficiently.<br />

<strong>Water</strong> losses within a utility’s network are an<br />

enormous source of wastage. <strong>Water</strong> leakage<br />

accounts for a significant amount of non-revenue<br />

water in many cities of the world. Real losses<br />

add greatly to operating costs, and present a<br />

major barrier to the improvement or extension<br />

of services to the unserved. <strong>Water</strong> losses to the<br />

piped network also burden wastewater systems<br />

and energy consumption of utilities. Leaks can add<br />

great complication and expense to the sustainable<br />

management of waste-water systems, and the<br />

majority of utilities’ energy expenditures – which<br />

commonly account for a full half of a utility’s<br />

recurrent costs – can go to the inefficient pumping<br />

of water through leaky networks.<br />

Dilapidated, outdated networks present enormous<br />

potentials for efficiency enhancement. Though<br />

water loss reduction programmes are often costly,<br />

faced with growing demand for water, operators<br />

would be wise to recall that the cheapest source<br />

of new water is often recuperated losses. Because<br />

it saves water and energy resources and reduces<br />

pollution to freshwater systems, there is clearly no<br />

wiser choice from an environmental perspective<br />

than investing in reducing water losses. <strong>Water</strong> loss<br />

reduction can also be transformative, catalyzing an<br />

upward spiral of improvements within a water utility.<br />

The investments made in water loss reduction reap<br />

enormous savings, improve customer satisfaction,<br />

and avail the will and resources for more advanced<br />

management.<br />

UN-HABITAT, the urban agency within the UN<br />

system, has long been concerned with helping<br />

urban water utilities provide sustainable, efficient<br />

and affordable access to burgeoning populations.<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Demand Management, and above all water<br />

loss reduction, is paramount to these goals. Piloting<br />

WDM projects that have attracted significant follow<br />

up investments, producing water loss manuals,<br />

and delivering training programmes for utility<br />

managers, UN-HABITAT has maintained water<br />

loss reduction as a pillar of its regional programmes<br />

in Africa, Asia and Latin America since 1999.<br />

The Global <strong>Water</strong> Operators’ Partnerships Alliance<br />

(GWOPA), an international network hosted<br />

by UN-HABITAT to increase utility capacity<br />

through mutual peer support, is glad to present<br />

the proceedings of the “2nd Regional Workshop<br />

on <strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction in <strong>Water</strong> and Sanitation<br />

Utilities,” that was held on 16th – 18th November


2009 in Sofia, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>. This successful event,<br />

which was co-organized through the partnership<br />

of UNW-DPC and GWOPA, was also used to<br />

initiate the establishment process of a regional<br />

SEE <strong>Water</strong> Operators’ Partnerships platform. It is<br />

hoped that the WOP-SEE mechanism will provide<br />

an opportunity for water operators in the region<br />

learn, in a systematic and impactful way, from<br />

one another and from mentor operators outside<br />

the region who have been successful not only in<br />

water loss reduction, but also in other efficiency<br />

enhancement programmes.<br />

Dr Faraj El-Awar<br />

Programme Manager<br />

Global <strong>Water</strong> Operators Partnerships Alliance<br />

UN-Habitat, Nairobi, Kenya<br />

15


Opening session speeches


Welcoming Address by Dr Valeri Nikolov,<br />

President of the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />

(BWA)<br />

Sofia, 16 November 2009<br />

Dear guests,<br />

Dear colleagues,<br />

I am very glad to welcome you to the Regional<br />

Workshop on <strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction in <strong>Water</strong> and<br />

Sanitation Utilities. These three days in Sofia, I<br />

believe, will be very fruitful for all of us.<br />

As many of you know, the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Association</strong> is the biggest NGO in the water sector<br />

in the country. Our members are 32 water utilities,<br />

about 60 companies operating in the water sector,<br />

as well as 160 individuals – academics and water<br />

practitioners, including young professionals and<br />

students.<br />

Our mission is to actively assist in the pursuit of<br />

adequate, nationally-responsible and EU-oriented<br />

water policy in the country, through the authority<br />

and capacity of our members.<br />

BWA represents <strong>Bulgaria</strong> in the most eminent<br />

international branch organizations and maintains<br />

bilateral contacts with the respective branch<br />

organizations in a number of <strong>European</strong> countries.<br />

19<br />

BWA organizes the biennial conference BULAQUA,<br />

national and international workshops, round<br />

tables. The <strong>Association</strong> is preparing to hold training<br />

courses for water and wastewater treatment plants’<br />

operators.<br />

The water supply and wastewater collection services<br />

in <strong>Bulgaria</strong> are provided by 52 water utilities, 16<br />

of which are state-owned, 13 are state-municipal<br />

property, 22 are municipal, and 1 (Sofia City) is<br />

a public-private concession. All the utilities deal<br />

with both water supply and wastewater collection<br />

services.<br />

The next several years will be very important for<br />

the water sector in <strong>Bulgaria</strong>. In a short time we


20<br />

need to do a lot - by 2015, a total of 430 wastewater<br />

treatment plants should be in operation for<br />

settlements with more than 2000 PE. To compare,<br />

right now we have 72 operating WWTP. About 10<br />

billion EUR are needed by 2015 for the water sector<br />

in <strong>Bulgaria</strong>.<br />

We have already stated on various occasions that<br />

the successful development of the sector depends<br />

on the adoption of a special <strong>Water</strong> Supply and<br />

Sanitation Act which should solve all issues related<br />

to water utilities’ assets ownership. Such a regulation<br />

would regulate and facilitate the water operators’<br />

activities and will support the development of the<br />

sector, including water loss reduction processes.<br />

We are very glad that BWA is one of the organizers<br />

of this workshop, together with UNW-DPC and<br />

UN-HABITAT. I can inform you that the average<br />

water loss in the water distribution systems in<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong> is more than 60 per cent. We do not have<br />

the exact numbers, but in some of the countries of<br />

South East Europe, things may be similar. This is the<br />

main reason to organize this event with the hope<br />

and belief that these three days will give answers to<br />

many questions and will help us in our future work<br />

for reduction of water losses.<br />

I would like to inform you that the number<br />

of participants reached 132, of which 50 are<br />

international and 82 <strong>Bulgaria</strong>. Fifteen <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n<br />

water utilities had their representatives at the<br />

workshop. The 28 presentations delivered by<br />

representatives of 17 countries covered economic<br />

and technological aspects of water loss reduction<br />

as well as the capacity building in this field. The<br />

special session moderated by the representatives of<br />

UN-HABITAT was dedicated to the establishment<br />

of a water operators partnership platform in the<br />

region.<br />

On behalf of the Governing Board of BWA and<br />

myself, I would like to thank UNW-DPC and UN-<br />

HABITAT for their efforts to male this workshop<br />

become a reality, and to thank also our main<br />

sponsor for the workshop, Infra Group Ltd., the<br />

exclusive representative of the Superlit company<br />

for <strong>Bulgaria</strong>, the general sponsor of BWA, Hobas<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong>, and the other sponsors.


Welcoming Address by Dr Reza Ardakanian,<br />

Director of the UN-<strong>Water</strong> Decade Programme<br />

on Capacity Development<br />

(UNW-DPC)<br />

Sofia, 16 November 2009<br />

Distinguished guests,<br />

Ladies and gentlemen,<br />

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the second<br />

regional workshop on water loss reduction in<br />

water & sanitation utilities for South East Europe<br />

Countries that the UN-<strong>Water</strong> Decade Programme<br />

on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) is coorganizing<br />

with UN-HABITAT and the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n<br />

<strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> in this wonderful location, the<br />

city of Sofia.<br />

This workshop here today is the second of a series<br />

of regional events co-organized by UNW-DPC,<br />

UN-HABITAT and national partners in the region,<br />

that follows-up the recommendations made at<br />

the International Workshop on “Drinking <strong>Water</strong><br />

Loss Reduction: Developing Capacity for Applying<br />

Solutions”, held on 3-5 September 2008 in Bonn,<br />

Germany. The first regional workshop on this topic<br />

for Latin American Countries was successfully<br />

completed in the city of Leon in Mexico at the<br />

beginning of November this year. A third regional<br />

workshop for water utilities in the Arab countries<br />

will take place in Rabat, Morocco in January 2010.<br />

21<br />

The setting up of regional workshops on improving<br />

urban water efficiency has the effect of creating a lively<br />

regional and inter-regional network of practitioners<br />

and organizations that are able to exchange and<br />

disseminate their knowledge and experiences in<br />

reducing water losses across the world.<br />

The theme and the focus of these regional workshops<br />

are clear. It is estimated that approximately 45<br />

million m3 of drinking water are lost in the world’s<br />

water systems every day. This quantity could serve<br />

nearly 200 million people; one third of the water is<br />

lost in developing countries, where the percentage<br />

of losses and unaccounted-for water of produced<br />

water fluctuates between 30% (the average in Latin


22<br />

America) and 50% or more in some countries of<br />

Europe, Middle East and Africa.<br />

Reducing water losses in urban drinking water<br />

supply networks could make a substantial<br />

contribution to making progress in directly<br />

achieving one water-related MDG target, number<br />

10: to halve by 2015 the number of people without<br />

sustainable access to clean water.<br />

<strong>Water</strong> losses also have an economic component:<br />

Any cost calculation for water supplies needs to<br />

take into account these losses within the system; in<br />

the end these are also paid by the customers – or if<br />

the full costs are not yet passed on to the customers<br />

- are covered by the municipality or the state. In the<br />

end people are paying for water they never see.<br />

<strong>Water</strong> losses in urban networks not only lead to<br />

economic costs for the utilities, but also reduce the<br />

number of people that the water can reach. Where<br />

urban water supplies are concerned, minimising<br />

losses from the system to the lowest technically<br />

feasible level is an urgent requirement.<br />

Of course within the whole water cycle there are<br />

many more areas of concern when it comes to the<br />

inefficient management of water.<br />

To solve this problem, developing capacities,<br />

especially of urban water managers and decisionmakers<br />

and water supply utilities as institutions<br />

from around the world, helping them to learn<br />

from each others’ approaches to tackling losses<br />

in distribution systems, is one step towards better<br />

water management. Lessons already learnt from<br />

previous workshops indicate that these approaches<br />

will most likely be those that incorporate the<br />

development of sound institutions and strong<br />

cooperation in order to apply the best available<br />

strategies and technical and managerial solutions.<br />

However, such strategies need to be more widely<br />

shared amongst both the international community<br />

of practitioners, but also the UN agencies who<br />

seek to provide capacity development in this<br />

area. The UNW-DPC has been set up to enhance<br />

the coherence and effectiveness of the waterrelated<br />

capacity development activities of the 26<br />

member UN organizations and more than a dozen<br />

partners comprising UN-<strong>Water</strong>. By supporting<br />

knowledge-gathering, assessing best practices<br />

and understanding needs, UNW-DPC seeks to<br />

strengthen the ability of the UN-<strong>Water</strong> members<br />

and partners to support Member States to meet<br />

internationally agreed goals and standards.<br />

We hope in particular that this workshop will<br />

increase the understanding for applying solutions<br />

to the challenges of the South East Europe region<br />

and that it will encourage follow-up projects and<br />

help to establish communication between the<br />

policy makers, water managers and researchers,<br />

but also with the providers of technical solutions.<br />

I am very pleased with the cooperation on this<br />

activity with our UN-<strong>Water</strong> partner, UN-Habitat,<br />

and with the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, which<br />

is hosting this workshop. Of course I also extend<br />

my gratitude to our partners in this workshop,<br />

the <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> and the German<br />

<strong>Association</strong> for <strong>Water</strong>, Wastewater and Waste for<br />

their support.


I am honoured to thank the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n authorities<br />

and distinguished guests that accepted our<br />

invitation to open this workshop and address their<br />

important messages to all the participants.<br />

We are honoured to have this second regional<br />

workshop here in Sofia. I wish you all very interesting<br />

discussions and join you in looking forward to<br />

useful outcomes for future improvements in urban<br />

water supply networks throughout the world.<br />

23


24<br />

Welcoming Address by Ms Anne Bousquet<br />

Capacity Building and Training Officer<br />

The Global <strong>Water</strong> Operators Partnerships<br />

Alliance<br />

UN-HABITAT<br />

Sofia, 16 November 2009<br />

Dear Delegates,<br />

On behalf of Dr. Faraj El Awar, the Program<br />

Manager of the Global <strong>Water</strong> Operators’<br />

Partnerships Alliance and my other colleagues from<br />

GWOPA, I would like to thank the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Association</strong>, and the co-organizers, our colleagues<br />

from UNW-DPC, for giving us the opportunity to<br />

join them in the hosting of this important regional<br />

workshop on <strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction. We would<br />

like also to thank the participants, and it is a great<br />

pleasure for us to see that so many of you made<br />

your way to Sofia.<br />

For UN-HABITAT, as well as for the Global WOPs<br />

Alliance - an initiative hosted by UN-HABITAT to<br />

promote peer support between utilities – which we<br />

are representing here, enhancing the performance<br />

of water operators is not only a precondition for<br />

reaching the Millennium Development Goals, but<br />

also a requirement for ensuring an efficient and<br />

sustainable management of water resources into<br />

the future. UN-HABITAT is particularly involved<br />

in the mitigation of climate change, and is involved<br />

in a number of initiatives, notably revolving<br />

around capacity development for water operators,<br />

to promote wise and efficient use of water. <strong>Water</strong><br />

Loss Reduction is a priority area for us because it<br />

holds enormous potential for efficiency gains and<br />

conservation, and it is largely within the capacity of<br />

water operators to control, provided they have the<br />

skills and the will to do so.<br />

The Global WOPs Alliance is particularly aware of<br />

the challenges faced by the water operators in the<br />

region, notably with their obligation to comply with<br />

the new <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong> Directives, combined with<br />

inherited problems of poor network maintenance,<br />

and a need in many areas for general organizational<br />

reforms. Therefore, the Alliance considers it crucial<br />

to support existing partnerships in the region and<br />

offer its support to streamline various initiatives in<br />

terms of water operators’ twinning.


The Global WOPs Alliance has been involved<br />

in training of water operators, tapping into UN-<br />

HABITAT’s in-house expertise (on water demand<br />

management, performance improvement plans<br />

etc., regarding which my colleague Julie Perkins<br />

will share UN-HABITAT experience with you later<br />

on during the workshop), and mobilizing expertise<br />

of its extensive partners network (CapNet, IB-Net,<br />

IWA, etc.).<br />

This is a unique opportunity for us to learn from<br />

you, as it is our first step in South Eastern Europe, as<br />

well as to hear from you how the Alliance could help<br />

you in fulfilling your ultimate daily task, which is to<br />

deliver safe water everywhere in the most efficient<br />

and affordable way. The Global WOPs Alliance has<br />

one core mandate, which is to help utilities to help<br />

one another: please join us on Thursday to learn<br />

more about this exciting program and to share your<br />

experience with us!<br />

25


26<br />

Welcoming address by Mr Vladimir Stratiev,<br />

Chief of Cabinet of the<br />

Minister of Environment and <strong>Water</strong> of<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Sofia, 16 November 2009<br />

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,<br />

I would like to send my cordial congratulations to<br />

all of you on the occasion of the regional workshop,<br />

“<strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction in <strong>Water</strong> Utilities in<br />

Southeastern <strong>European</strong> Countries”.<br />

This first event of such a scale in the country,<br />

organized by UNW-DPC, UN-HABITAT and<br />

the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, is a proof of<br />

the engagement of the international institutions<br />

working in the water sector. I would like to thank the<br />

organizers for their efforts to make this workshop<br />

become a reality.<br />

The governing body of the Ministry of Environment<br />

and <strong>Water</strong> highly appreciates such initiatives, where<br />

professional viewpoints and standpoints are being<br />

exchanged and discussions held, all of which leads<br />

to more successful solutions of environmental and<br />

water issues.<br />

I am confident that the contacts established in such<br />

a forum will contribute to the improved exchange<br />

of experience and positive outcomes. In this way,<br />

good ideas are born, guaranteeing better future of<br />

the water sector in the region and worldwide.<br />

I wish you a successful and fruitful workshop!


Welcoming Address by Mr Yordan Tatarski,<br />

Chief of Cabinet of the<br />

Minister of Regional Development and Public<br />

Works of <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Sofia, 16 November 2009<br />

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,<br />

I would like to cordially greet you all and to thank<br />

the representatives of the UN-<strong>Water</strong> Decade<br />

Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-<br />

DPC), the UN Human Settlements Programme<br />

(UN-HABITAT) and the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Association</strong> for the organization of the present<br />

workshop, which will consider the current<br />

challenges for water loss reduction in the water<br />

supply systems.<br />

I believe in your professionalism and expect that<br />

you will propose efficient solutions against the<br />

water losses caused not only by failures in the<br />

worn-out pipelines and equipment but also due to<br />

theft of water, not metering or inaccurate metering<br />

of water consumption, etc. I believe that during<br />

this workshop you will share best practices, for the<br />

benefit of all water operators in the region.<br />

I would like to assure you that I personally, and<br />

my team in the Ministry of Regional Development<br />

and Public Works, will support the realization<br />

of any useful initiative in this field in political,<br />

administrative, technical and organizational<br />

aspects.<br />

27<br />

I wish you a successful workshop and hope you<br />

reach your goals!


Background and objectives


BACKGROUND<br />

<strong>Water</strong> loss from distribution systems is a problem<br />

in almost all conurbations around the world,<br />

but can be a serious issue in areas where water is<br />

scarce. This problem deserves immediate attention<br />

and appropriate action to reduce avoidable stress<br />

on scarce and valuable water resources. Several<br />

big cities have already started programmes geared<br />

towards the step-by-step reduction of the losses<br />

and it is well known that many institutions and<br />

water and sanitation utilities have developed<br />

and implemented strategies and technologies<br />

to control leakage and water loss. These<br />

strategies have proven highly efficient and received<br />

worldwide recognition.<br />

As a follow-up of the recommendations of the<br />

International Workshop on „Drinking <strong>Water</strong><br />

Loss Reduction: Developing Capacity for<br />

Applying Solutions“, held on 3-5 September<br />

2008 in Bonn, Germany, and in order to address<br />

this problem at the regional level, UNW-DPC is<br />

organizing in cooperation with UN-HABITAT<br />

and BWA the second regional workshop on „<strong>Water</strong><br />

Loss Reduction in <strong>Water</strong> and Sanitation Utilities<br />

in South East <strong>European</strong> Countries (SEE)“. The first<br />

regional workshop on this topic for Latin American<br />

countries was held in Guanajuato, Mexico on 2-4<br />

November 2009.<br />

The Sofia workshop will document available knowhow<br />

and best practices and will recommend new<br />

approaches for more efficient management in the<br />

field of water and sanitation with a focus on water<br />

loss reduction. The workshop will also focus on the<br />

economic and political conditions for success in<br />

water loss reduction in countries with economies<br />

in transition. With this workshop, UNW-DPC<br />

and UN-HABITAT hope to encourage followup<br />

projects and help to establish communication<br />

between the policy makers, water managers and<br />

31<br />

researchers, but also with the providers of technical<br />

solutions. The Global WOPs Alliance, hosted by<br />

UN-HABITAT, will hold a side-event, exploring<br />

opportunities to put in place a platform for water<br />

operators’ partnerships in the SEE region.<br />

OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP<br />

• To encourage the exchange of experience<br />

and information on successful examples<br />

within the different national/local<br />

•<br />

programmes in improving leakage control<br />

and water losses reduction;<br />

To concentrate on the most promising<br />

approaches, highlighting especially<br />

the need in institutional capacity<br />

•<br />

development and the establishment of<br />

cooperation;<br />

To provide the necessary feedback to<br />

the UN-<strong>Water</strong> members and partners to<br />

direct their efforts to further develop<br />

initiatives and programs on water loss<br />

reduction, strengthening their mandates<br />

and workplans;<br />

• To collect facts and figures and good<br />

case stories to increase awareness and<br />

attention to the issue of water loss<br />

reduction by decision-makers and water<br />

managers;<br />

• To support the development of the<br />

countries potential in the problem<br />

•<br />

definition and their direct involvement in<br />

the search for applicable solutions;<br />

To disseminate and present the results<br />

of this activity in international fora such<br />

as the World <strong>Water</strong> Forum and the World<br />

Urban Forum.


32<br />

PARTICIPANTS & CONTRIBUTORS<br />

The workshop is aimed at decision-makers<br />

responsible for water supply and sanitation in major<br />

cities from countries in the SEE region (Albania,<br />

Bosnia & Herzegovina, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>, Greece, FYR<br />

Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and<br />

Turkey) and neighbouring countries (Austria,<br />

Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary,<br />

Italy, Malta and the United Kingdom).<br />

Providers and manufacturers of innovative<br />

technical solutions for detection and control of<br />

water losses, leakage control and water metering are<br />

invited to present their products and approaches<br />

in a Technical Exhibition that will be held during<br />

the workshop. Participation of companies in this<br />

technical exhibition is subject to a participation fee.<br />

Please contact the organizers at the contact address<br />

below for more information about the modalities of<br />

participation.


Workshop Partners<br />

SUPPORTING ORGANIzERS<br />

The Global WOPs Alliance<br />

SUPPORTING PARTNERS<br />

OTHER SUPPORTERS<br />

UN-WATER DECADE PROGRAMME ON<br />

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT (UNW-DPC)<br />

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN SETTLEMENT<br />

PROGRAMME (UN-HABITAT)<br />

BULGARIAN WATER ASOCIATION (BWA)<br />

EUROPEAN WATER ASSOCIATION (EWA)<br />

GERMAN ASSOCIATION FOR WATER,<br />

WASTEWATER AND WASTE (DWA)<br />

INFRAGROUP CO. LTD. (SUPERLIT BORN SANAYI<br />

A.S.)<br />

I2O WATER<br />

33


Introduction of chairpersons<br />

and speakers


Chairpersons<br />

EWA<br />

Mr Johannes Lohaus<br />

has been working for DWA (German <strong>Association</strong> for <strong>Water</strong>, Wastewater and<br />

Waste) for 23 years and has been Managing Director since 2004. In Europe,<br />

the DWA is one of the associations with the strongest membership in the<br />

fields of water management, wastewater, waste and the protection of soil.<br />

Since 2005, Johannes Lohaus has been the Secretary General of the <strong>European</strong><br />

<strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> (EWA). Today, EWA consists of about 25 <strong>European</strong> national<br />

associations representing professionals, researchers, academic persons, and<br />

technicians.<br />

UNW-DPC<br />

Prof. Dr Dr Karl-Ulrich Rudolph<br />

holds PhDs in Civil and Sanitary Engineering from the University of Darmstadt,<br />

and in Environmental Economics from the University of Karlsruhe. He<br />

has been a member of the Supervisory Board of the Berlin <strong>Water</strong> Works,<br />

the Advisory Board of Deutsche Bank, and is currently working on water<br />

management (engineering, economics/ finance), especially long-term cost<br />

optimisation and sustainable water utility management. He coordinates the<br />

UNW-DPC Working Group on Capacity Development for <strong>Water</strong> Efficiency<br />

BWA<br />

Dr Atanas Paskalev<br />

has a PhD from the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy<br />

in Sofia and has over 35 years of experience in the field of water supply, sewerage,<br />

water treatment and related activities. He is Manager of Aquapartner Ltd and<br />

also Vice-president of the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> (BWA) and a member<br />

of the International <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong>.<br />

UN-HABITAT<br />

Dr Faraj El Awar<br />

is Programme Manager of the Global <strong>Water</strong> Operators Partnerships Alliance<br />

of UN-Habitat in Nairobi, Kenya.<br />

37


38<br />

Speakers<br />

Albania<br />

Dr. Eng. Enkelejda Gjinali<br />

defended her PhD thesis on the subject, “Low Cost Wastewater Treatment<br />

Plants for Small Communities Applicable in the Albanian Context”. This is<br />

considered to be the first PhD awarded in Albania, in the field of wastewater<br />

treatment plant design and construction. Since 2007, Dr. Gjinali has served<br />

as the <strong>Water</strong> Sector Advisor to the Prime Minister of Albania <strong>Water</strong> Policy,<br />

water sector reform matters, and related issues, both in Albania and in its<br />

neighboring countries.<br />

Albania: city of Korca<br />

Mr Petrit Tare<br />

is Director of the <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage Company of Korca, and in<br />

the same time member of the Board of Directors of the <strong>Water</strong> Supply and<br />

Sewerage <strong>Association</strong> of Albania. Mr. Tare is a cofounder of the water supply<br />

and sewerage association of Albania, and has served for 7 years as the president<br />

of the association. Since two years now, he represents the association at the<br />

EWA (<strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong>) as a member of the EWA Council.<br />

Albania<br />

Ms Elisabeta Poçi<br />

graduated on 2004 and holds a Diploma on Environmental Engineering,<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Treatment Specialty. Since her graduation she has been working for the<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage of Albania, where she serves as the Program and<br />

Training Manager to the <strong>Association</strong>. Ms. Poçi has been engaged as well in<br />

her job as a part time lecturer at the Faculty of Civil Engineering since 2005.<br />

Bosnia & Herzigowina-Montenegro<br />

Mr Djevad Koldzo<br />

has extensive experience working with water utilities across Bosnia and<br />

Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro. During his field work with<br />

water utilities on different projects, he had opportunity to get familiar with<br />

their situation and working conditions. He is also an expert in reduction of<br />

unaccounted for water. He programmed Software tools for measurement<br />

and leak detection, which have been used by more than 80 <strong>Water</strong> Utilities in<br />

Bosnia and Montenegro.


Abstract<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Ms Gergina Mihailova<br />

is a Civil Engineer (degree programme: water supply and sewerage) and holds<br />

a Master degree of Hydraulic Engineering from the University of Pisa (Italy).<br />

She is specialized in systems and facilities from the University of Architecture,<br />

Civil Engineering and Geodesy – faculty of Hydrotechnics, Sofia, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>.<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong>: city of Sofia<br />

Prof. Dr. Gantcho Dimitrov<br />

is Head of the Department of <strong>Water</strong> Supply, Sewerage, <strong>Water</strong> and Wastewater<br />

Treatment at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy,<br />

Sofia. His main professional interest is in the field of water demand. He has<br />

more than 70 publications and large experience in the reduction of water<br />

losses in in-house and municipal water distribution systems.<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Mr Stefan zheliazkov<br />

is the Executive Director of Stroitelna Mehanizatsia JSC, Kazanlak, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>;<br />

Chairman of the Managing Board of the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Association</strong> for Trenchless<br />

Technologies; Member of the Governing Board of the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Association</strong>.<br />

Czech Republic<br />

Mr Name: Miroslav TesarikMiroslav<br />

Tesarik<br />

is a<br />

Position:<br />

Civil Engineer,<br />

Project<br />

graduated<br />

Manager<br />

in Prague Technical University, specialization<br />

Institution: Danish Hydraulic Institute, DHI a.s.<br />

water Address: constructions Na and Vrších water 5, management. 100 00 Praha 10, Former Czech engagements Republic in Prague<br />

Project Email: Organization, m.tesarik@dhi.cz<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Research Institute, Prague <strong>Water</strong> and Sewarage<br />

Tel./Fax: +420 267 227 127 / +420 271 736 912<br />

Company. Currently working with Danish Hydraulic Institute a.s. in a position<br />

of project manager and hydraulic specialist.<br />

Czech Republic<br />

A Conceptual Approach Mr Bruno to Jannin <strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction<br />

is an engineer and disposes of a number of years of experience in the water<br />

sector: Project manager Veolia / Compagnie des Eaux de Paris (2 years), Work/<br />

<strong>Water</strong> utilities have made considerable Operation efforts manager to reduce / Compagnie water loss des from Eaux their de pipe Paris networks (5 years) during and Project recent decades.<br />

However, they often focus on manager a limited Veolia range / Europe of measures, department such as - Development.<br />

using the best equipment and organization to<br />

detect and repair breakages, stabilizing the boundaries of existing supply zones, and measuring inflow into the<br />

zones to evaluate NRW.<br />

Such an approach can be relatively ineffective in some parts of the water supply system. The effect of leakage<br />

detection is often low in large supply zones with uneven conditions. Pipe networks with high or unstable pressure<br />

conditions have a high leakage and breakage rate, and even if leakage detection is efficient, overall leakage from the<br />

39<br />

Czech Republic


40<br />

Greece<br />

Mr Stefanos Georgiadis<br />

is a civil engineer and Assistant General Manager of Networks and Facilities<br />

- Eydap S.A. He graduated as a Civil Engineer in 1978 from the Aristotelian<br />

Polytechnic School in Thessaloniki, Greece. He was involved in the design and<br />

construction of works until 1983. He presently holds the position of Assistant<br />

General Manager of Networks and Facilities, with responsibilities concerning<br />

the water resources, the external aquaduct, the water supply network, as well<br />

as the sewage network of the Athens <strong>Water</strong> Company EYDAP S.A.<br />

FYR Macedonia: City of Skopje<br />

Mr Bojan Ristovski<br />

is an electrical engineer, specializing in the management of water resources<br />

and water services in water utilities. He has been an active member of the<br />

IWA <strong>Water</strong> Loss Task Force (WLTF) since its foundation and is active in<br />

promoting the WLTF techniques and methodologies in Macedonia and<br />

across the Balkans. Currently, he is on the position Director of Leak Detection<br />

Department, On-Duty Center and Call Center in J.P. Vodovod i Kanalizacija-<br />

Skopje, Macedonia (Public Enterprise <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage-Skopje,<br />

Macedonia).<br />

Malta<br />

Mr Nigel Ellul<br />

is a mechanical engineer by profession and has been in the water business for<br />

9 years. He held both an engineering role and a managerial role with the <strong>Water</strong><br />

Services Corporation, the Maltese national water and waste water operating<br />

company. Presently he is regional manager for both water and waste water<br />

operations in the northern part of the Maltese Islands.<br />

Romania: city of Timisoara<br />

Mr Mihai Grozavescu<br />

is the assistant of the General Manager of Aquatim Timisoara, the Regional<br />

water and sewerage operator for the Timis County, since 2005. He graduated the<br />

Electrotechnical Faculty within the “Politehnica” University from Timisoara,<br />

and from 2009 he is working on his Ph.D in Drinking <strong>Water</strong> Network Modeling


Abstract<br />

Romania: city of Satu Mare<br />

Mr Sava Gheorhe<br />

studies electrotechnical engineering at the “Technical University „Gheorghe<br />

Asachi”, where he specialized in the management of public services and<br />

administration. Currently he is technical manager at SC APASERV SATU<br />

MARE SA, where he coordinates the implementation of strategy NRW. Mr.<br />

Gheorhe is the initiator and organizer of the first competition coordinated by<br />

the ARA-water loss management. He is also responsible with implementation<br />

of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 at APASERV SATU MARE SA.<br />

Republic of Serbia<br />

Mr Branislav Babic<br />

has a Master degree in civil engineering - hydraulic engineering and more<br />

than 20 years of professional experience in Serbia and Western Balkan Region.<br />

He has been employed at the University of Belgrade, Faculty civil Engineering<br />

as University teaching assistant. Mr. Babić has considerable experience in<br />

water supply distribution network modelling and design and water losses<br />

management in the region.<br />

Turkey: city of Antalya<br />

Prof. Dr. Habib Muhammetoglu<br />

completed his Ph.D. and M.Sc. at the Environmental Engineering Department,<br />

Faculty of Engineering, Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey.<br />

The B.Sc. of Prof. Muhammetoglu is from Civil Engineering Department. Prof.<br />

Muhammetoglu is a teaching staff member at the Environmental Engineering<br />

Department, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey. He is interested in water<br />

quality management.<br />

Turkey: city of Antalya<br />

Mr Ismail Name: Demirel Ismail Demirel<br />

is the<br />

Position:<br />

head of SCADA<br />

Head<br />

branch<br />

of SCADA<br />

at Antalya<br />

Branch<br />

Metropolitan Municipality, Antalya<br />

Institution: Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, Antalya <strong>Water</strong> and Wastew<br />

<strong>Water</strong> and Wastewater<br />

Administration<br />

Administration<br />

(ASAT)<br />

(ASAT), Antalya, Turkey. His<br />

background Address: is in Gelogical engineering. However, he has a wide experience<br />

in SCADA Email: systems for askiscada@hotmail.com<br />

drinking water distribution networks. He worked for<br />

many years in this field with Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and with<br />

Antalya Metropolitan Municipality.<br />

Monitoring and Management of <strong>Water</strong> Distribution Network in Antalya C<br />

41<br />

Turk


42<br />

Experts<br />

UNW-DPC Working Group on Capacity Development for <strong>Water</strong><br />

Efficiency<br />

Prof. Dr Dr Karl-Ulrich Rudolph<br />

holds PhDs in Civil and Sanitary Engineering from the University of Darmstadt,<br />

and in Environmental Economics from the University of Karlsruhe. He has been<br />

a member of the Supervisory Board of the Berlin <strong>Water</strong> Works, the Advisory<br />

Board of Deutsche Bank, and is currently working on water management<br />

(engineering, economics/ finance), especially long-term cost optimisation and<br />

sustainable water utility management.<br />

DWA<br />

Mr Johannes Lohaus<br />

has been working for DWA (German <strong>Association</strong> for <strong>Water</strong>, Wastewater and<br />

Waste) for 23 years and has been Managing Director since 2004. In Europe,<br />

the DWA is one of the associations with the strongest membership in the<br />

fields of water management, wastewater, waste and the protection of soil.<br />

Since 2005, Johannes Lohaus has been the Secretary General of the <strong>European</strong><br />

<strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> (EWA). Today, EWA consists of about 25 <strong>European</strong> national<br />

associations representing professionals, researchers, academic persons, and<br />

technicians.<br />

EWA<br />

Ms Boryana Dimitrova<br />

From 2002 to 2007 Boryana Dimitrova was studying at the Brandenburg<br />

University of Technology in Cottbus (BTU) where she obtained her Master<br />

degree in “Environmental and Resources Management”. Since 2008 Boryana<br />

Dimitrova (M.Sc) has been working as the Management Assistant of the<br />

<strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> (EWA).<br />

UN-HABITAT<br />

Ms Julie Perkins<br />

is an environmental urban planner whose focus is on improving basic services<br />

within the slums of developing countries. She has a strong background in<br />

water and sanitation, and over the past 10 years has worked on a broad range<br />

of water issues - from aquatic ecology and watershed management to water<br />

governance and utility management. In her current work with UN-HABITAT,<br />

Julie helps run the Global <strong>Water</strong> Operators’ Partnerships Alliance.


DLR<br />

Dr Dagmar Bley<br />

studied Geography with a focus on hydrology at Free University of Berlin.<br />

During the last 6 years she has worked in science administration with a<br />

focus on environmental sciences. Since 2007 Dr. Bley has been working for<br />

the <strong>Water</strong> Strategy Initiative Office (IBWS) at Project Management Agency<br />

of DLR in Bonn which supports Germany´s Federal Ministries of Education<br />

and Research and Environment in developing a concept for international<br />

collaboration in the field of water management.<br />

CEOCOR<br />

Mr Max Hammerer<br />

Max Hammerer, Graduated Engineer for Electro-techniques, Klagenfurt –<br />

Austria. Consultant for maintanance and operation management in waterand<br />

waste water companies. Implementation and supervision of network<br />

documentation by GIS, water loss reduction processes, failure statistics,<br />

inspection service and condition based rehabilitation strategies. President of<br />

the <strong>Association</strong>s CEOCOR sector C and Danube <strong>Water</strong> Competence Center<br />

DWCC.<br />

DWA<br />

Mr Jörg Otterbach<br />

is a civil engineer and has mainly worked in the field of sewer inspection and<br />

information systems. He currently holds the position UB 0.5 target planning<br />

and expansion at WVER (<strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> Eifel -Rur) in Düren, Germany.<br />

i2O <strong>Water</strong><br />

Mr Stuart Trow<br />

has a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in<br />

the UK, and 32 years’ experience in the UK water industry. These include 30<br />

years involved with technical issues on water distribution systems, particularly<br />

leakage and losses. He now works as an independent consultant in the UK and<br />

internationally.<br />

43


Workshop papers


Keynote paper


Economic Aspects of <strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction<br />

within Integrated Urban <strong>Water</strong> Management<br />

Prof. Dr Dr Karl-Ulrich Rudolph, Coordinator of UNW-DPC Working Group on Capacity<br />

Development for <strong>Water</strong> Efficiency<br />

ASTRACT<br />

It is obvious that in a system with a 50 per cent loss rate a minimum of 2m³ of drinking water has to be<br />

produced in order that 1m³ is to reach the consumer. In countries with scarce water resources, many<br />

people will receive no water at all because of water loss, and in low-income countries the water customer<br />

and/or taxpayer suffers, having to pay at least double costs. The journal WATER21 (June 2008, page 48)<br />

estimates the benefits of reducing water losses in lower and middle income countries to just half of the<br />

current level: an additional11 billion m³/a would be available to water customers, an additional 130 million<br />

people could again access to a public water supply, and water utilities would gain US$ 4 billion in selfgenerated<br />

cash flow.<br />

These figures illustrate the economic importance of water loss (WL) and the need for water loss reduction<br />

programmes (WLR-P). For decision-making and design of WLR-P, costs and benefits have to be analysed<br />

and evaluated, using a cost-benefit-analysis (CBA). This paper explains that:<br />

• CBA must be appropriate to regional conditions OPEX, CAPEX) and include surplus technical<br />

and administrative WL-damages;<br />

• German guideline recommends a WL of below 20 m³/h•km, or below 7%; design and implementation<br />

of WLR package solutions would support WL promotion, and local business should be developed<br />

through capacity building;<br />

• Financial arrangements using business models with know-how transfer, such as water franchise,<br />

can develop local business more than purely public operations or private concessions.<br />

49


50<br />

It is obvious that in a water system with 50 % loss<br />

through leakages and from other causes a minimum<br />

of 2 m³ of drinking water have to be produced if only<br />

1 m³ are to reach the consumer. In countries with<br />

scarce water resources many people will receive<br />

no water at all because of water losses, and in lowincome<br />

countries it is the water customer and/or<br />

the tax payer who suffers, having to pay at least<br />

double costs. The journal WATER 21 (June 2008,<br />

page 48) estimates the benefits to be gained from<br />

a reduction of water losses in lower and middle<br />

income countries to just half of the current level:<br />

• 11 billion m³/a would be available to water<br />

customers;<br />

• 130 million more people could again access<br />

public water supply;<br />

• water utilities would gain US$ 4 billion in<br />

self-generated cash flow.<br />

These figures illustrate the economic importance<br />

of water loss (WL) and the need for water loss<br />

reduction programmes (WLR-P). For decision<br />

making and design of WLR-P, costs and benefits<br />

have to be analysed and evaluated, using a costbenefit-analysis<br />

(CBA). This paper explains that:<br />

• CBA must be appropriate to<br />

regional conditions (OPEX, CAPEX)<br />

and include surplus technical and<br />

•<br />

administrative WL-damages;<br />

the German guideline recommends WL<br />

below 20 m³/h·km, or below 7 %;<br />

• design and implementation of WLR<br />

•<br />

package solutions would support WL<br />

promotion, and local business should be<br />

developed through capacity building,<br />

Financial arrangement through business<br />

models with know-how transfer, such as<br />

water franchise, can develop local business<br />

more than purely public operations or<br />

private concessions.<br />

1. FIGURES ABOUT WATER LOSSES IN<br />

DIFFERENT REGIONS<br />

Due to different calculation methods and a not<br />

always reliable data basis, it is necessary to verify<br />

data about water losses case by case. Data published<br />

for different countries reflect averages and cannot<br />

be regarded as valid for individual cities or utilities.<br />

Figure 1 shows data published for developing<br />

<strong>European</strong> countries and developing countries. As<br />

one might expect, water losses in most developing<br />

countries are quite high (up to 90 %), due to poor<br />

operation and maintenance of existing facilities.<br />

The low rate of water losses in Germany (less than<br />

8 %, and for some utilities around 3 %) are the<br />

result of the high budgets available for utilities, and<br />

the fact that the German tariff system allows full<br />

cost recovery for structural maintenance, without<br />

any significant problems with tariff collection.<br />

Certainly this is a strong economic incentive for<br />

extensive WLR-P.<br />

40%<br />

30%<br />

20%<br />

10%<br />

0%<br />

37%<br />

<strong>Water</strong> losses in %<br />

29%<br />

27%<br />

Figure 1: <strong>Water</strong> Loss Figures from Different Countries<br />

Years ago, an expert team from the World Bank<br />

made a tour through Germany and criticised<br />

that German water utilities have realised<br />

“uneconomically low water losses”. The discussion<br />

at that time was that approx. 15% of water losses<br />

would seem economically feasible under the<br />

conditions of the region (where water is not scarce;<br />

the recommendation would probably have been<br />

lower for countries which need desalination to<br />

25%<br />

Developing <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Countries<br />

UK Italy France Danmark Germany<br />

9%<br />

Source: BGW 2004 u.a.


produce the water supply).<br />

The German utilities, being criticised for<br />

overstretching their WLR-P to achieve noneconomic<br />

low water loss rates, argued that low<br />

water losses are an indicator for good network<br />

maintenance, and that well-maintained networks<br />

have a longer lifetime and lower repair costs.<br />

However, although a loss of 15 % may have been<br />

justified a decade ago, the present “assumed<br />

optimum” might well be around 4 %,<br />

• because of increased costs for supplied<br />

water (production + distribution), especially<br />

power and regional water shortages,<br />

• because of improved technologies for<br />

water loss reduction (WLR), e.g. for<br />

leak detection, trenchless rehabilitation,<br />

automated metering, asset management<br />

etc.<br />

Figure 2 includes guide figures from German<br />

standards, for water losses in [m³/h ∙ km] which may<br />

serve as a first orientation where no other economic<br />

considerations or data are available. These indicate<br />

that percentages below 7 % are reasonable.<br />

German standard DVGW W 392<br />

Remarks:<br />

1. Hardly achievable<br />

2. Very good maintenance, new systems<br />

3. Achievable with technical/operational measures<br />

4. Maintenance not efficiently performed<br />

5. Maintenance and/or system in poor condition, if >30<br />

Figure 2: “Reasonable” Level of Leakage<br />

2. A STANDARD APPROACH TO COST-BENEFIT-<br />

ANALYSES<br />

51<br />

The CBA method of “first choice” is usually a<br />

comparison of WLR costs with WLR benefits,<br />

measured as reduced costs for water production,<br />

according to reduced leakages. Figure 3 illustrates<br />

the results of a CBA for a city which would be<br />

able to avoid desalination if the water losses were<br />

reduced below 30 %. From this level, the cheaper<br />

water from a river dam in the mountains would be<br />

sufficient to meet the demand.<br />

Figure 3: CBA (Cost-Benefit-Analysis) for WLR-P<br />

Another CBA approach is to compare the specific<br />

supply costs for different levels of water loss<br />

reduction, which is usually accompanied by equally<br />

high levels of technical failure. Figure 4 shows a<br />

calculation of specific supply costs in two different<br />

networks (a) the current situation for a large Asian<br />

city and (b) a calculation for the technical stages<br />

equal to high quality equipment and maintenance,<br />

such as are often achieved by water companies<br />

and water utilities in Germany (e.g. Gelsenwasser,<br />

Huber, Remondis, Siemens), Europe and other<br />

countries. It is understandable that leakage and<br />

technical failures inflate the specific cost of the<br />

water delivered enormously. Although higher costs<br />

for equipment might lead to a higher overall CAPEX


52<br />

of an additional 15 % (note: civil constructions<br />

unchanged), the resulting costs per cubic meter are<br />

much lower (€/m³ 1.33 for high quality, compared<br />

to €/m³ 4 for poor quality).<br />

Figure 4: WL and Cheap Technologies cause Surplus Costs<br />

Furthermore, a CBA should not be limited to public<br />

expenditures. Whenever water supply services are<br />

not reliable in continuity and pressure, the private<br />

customers are bearing significant additional<br />

expenses, for example for booster pumps, roof<br />

storage tanks etc. These extra costs (in one case:<br />

$/m³ 0.50 water sold) are often much higher than<br />

the amount the (usually public) utility would have<br />

had to spend on appropriate water loss reduction<br />

programmes, structural maintenance and network<br />

rehabilitation.<br />

3. SPECIFIC REqUIREMENTS FOR CBA IN DRY<br />

AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES<br />

For developing and transformation countries,<br />

especially those that are dry and have scarce water<br />

resources, the definition of major cost components<br />

should reflect the specific situation onsite. This<br />

applies to labour costs (maybe near to zero for<br />

low-skilled labour in national economies with<br />

high unemployment), on electric power (in many<br />

countries power is still subsidised and does not<br />

reflect the real values, which should be considered in<br />

a CBA), on imports and foreign currency exchange<br />

rates (local products may be advantageous under<br />

certain national-economic conditions), on natural<br />

resources (like land used for plants to substitute<br />

water loss reduction) and on the calculation focus<br />

(any CBA should clearly indicate what is considered<br />

to be OPEX and CAPEX, especially regarding the<br />

difference between operational and structural<br />

maintenance, and whether the focus is on microeconomic<br />

or macro-economic issues).<br />

A review of about two dozen cost-benefit analyses<br />

(most of them donor-funded) in the framework of<br />

research projects funded by the World Bank, the<br />

EU and the German Federal Ministry of Education<br />

and Research, IEEM (the Institute of Environmental<br />

Engineering and Management, headed by the<br />

author) found that 17 were not appropriate in<br />

economic and methodology and/or regarding the<br />

input data. This may have led to unfair decisions<br />

regarding<br />

• wastewater pond systems versus activated<br />

sludge technology,<br />

• decentralised versus centralised systems,<br />

• water loss reduction versus desalination<br />

plants.<br />

4. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE DUE TO TECHNICAL<br />

LOSSES<br />

Figure 5 shows that the costs of failures from a<br />

leaking or even collapsing pipe network exceed the<br />

savings in expenditure for structural maintenance<br />

and rehabilitation(s). And emergency repair after<br />

failures have occurred will generate significant<br />

additional costs, especially as a result of accidents,<br />

destabilisation of foundations, road collapse,<br />

wetting of buildings, electrical equipment etc.,<br />

damage to trees and open spaces as a result of


flooding, hygienic risks or even disease, odour<br />

nuisance, for cleaning up flooded areas, additional<br />

emergency expenditure etc.<br />

Figure 5: Damage Due to Technical Losses<br />

5. ADDITONAL DAMAGE DUE TO<br />

ADMINISTRATIVE LOSSES<br />

The administrative losses, e.g. water theft or nonpayment<br />

of water supplied according to valid<br />

tariffs, is in no way limited to the loss of revenue<br />

for the water utility. The additional effects are much<br />

more severe, for example<br />

• excessive consumption (A user who doesn’t<br />

pay will not save water, this eventually leads<br />

to water shortage, usually hitting the poor<br />

and sub-urban population)<br />

• illegal water trafficking (In many cases it was<br />

found that illegal water trafficking is more<br />

likely in supply areas where administrative<br />

losses are not dealt with. If the water utility<br />

does not fight for proper payment through<br />

the water customers, someone else will step<br />

in - leading to structures often described as<br />

a "local water mafia".)<br />

• unwillingness to pay/charge (Where there<br />

is little revenue, there is little incentive for<br />

decision makers and managers to adopt<br />

appropriate water tariffs, and the search for<br />

appropriate billing and collection systems<br />

is hampered.)<br />

• Finally, administrative water losses<br />

53<br />

above a certain level will lead to financial<br />

destabilisation of the water utilities and<br />

preclude the development of sustainable<br />

water services.<br />

This may result in what can be described as a<br />

“vicious circle in water and sanitation” (see Figure<br />

6).<br />

Figure 6: The Vicious Circle in <strong>Water</strong> and Sanitation<br />

In many developing and transformation countries,<br />

water tariffs are below costs. The utilities are forced<br />

to work with insufficient budgets. But, with an<br />

insufficient budget, investments and operations are<br />

below needs, leading to poor water services, low<br />

customer satisfaction and a negative public image.<br />

In this situation, political support (“willingness<br />

to charge”) for the introduction of cost-covering<br />

water tariffs is less likely. This vicious circle could<br />

be broken if all the water produced reached the<br />

paying customer.<br />

In other words: A proper water loss reduction<br />

programme is an essential pre-condition for<br />

achieving sustainable water services.<br />

6. PUBLIC RELATIONS AND WATER LOSS<br />

REDUCTION<br />

There are several reasons why water loss reductionprogrammes<br />

are not attractive for public relations<br />

and decision makers who depend on public votes:


54<br />

• <strong>Water</strong> loss reduction activities are either<br />

invisible to the public, or disturbing.<br />

• Today's politicians will be made responsible<br />

for the expense and inconvenience of a<br />

water loss reduction programme, whereas<br />

the benefits are for the future.<br />

• No good "package solutions” for easy<br />

handling by the client are yet on the market<br />

(apart from some very new IT, GIS-based<br />

service products).<br />

• Lobbying powers are focused rather on big<br />

investment (e.g. desalination, dams), than<br />

on water loss reduction programmes as a<br />

business target.<br />

75 % of total expenditure is usually for distribution,<br />

and only 25 % for the production of water. Operations<br />

and maintenance, especially water loss reduction<br />

programmes, are often neglected when preparing<br />

budgets. <strong>Water</strong> loss reduction programmes usually<br />

receive only 10 % to 30 % of the calculated needs in<br />

budget expenditures (estimated average).<br />

The question is, how can water loss reduction<br />

programmes be promoted better. Probably the<br />

following activities are necessary:<br />

• Raise awareness, education, training;<br />

• Eradicate intransparencies and populism;<br />

• Promote the financial benefits of water loss<br />

reduction;<br />

• Create reliable "package solutions";<br />

• Enable local business.<br />

The last issue is of outstanding importance. Franchise<br />

might be one option to change the acceptability. Of<br />

course, until now, only experienced, international<br />

players have been able to deliver an overall, reliable<br />

success-oriented package for water loss reduction<br />

in urban networks. Instead of hiring such large<br />

international companies (which are not always<br />

favoured by local decision-makers), it might seem<br />

better to hire local and smaller businesses, enabled<br />

through franchise contracts with the professional<br />

international players. This approach is different<br />

from the conventional scheme, i.e. to choose the<br />

international player, who then sub-contracts local<br />

SMEs under whatever conditions and for whatever<br />

duration.<br />

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<br />

This paper includes results and findings from<br />

research projects and studies sponsored by: Project<br />

No. 02WT0354, Project No. 0330734A, Project<br />

No. VNM 07/004, Project No. TH/Asia Pro Eco/04<br />

(101301), Project No. ASIE/2006/129-100, Project<br />

No. 1539.<br />

The author would like to thank these institutions<br />

for supporting the work on the important issue of<br />

water loss reduction.


Case Studies


Map of participating countries<br />

57


Albania<br />

Development and Delivery of a <strong>Water</strong> Loss<br />

Control Training Course<br />

Ms Elisabeta Poçi, Programme and Training Manager, <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage<br />

<strong>Association</strong> of Albania<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

In most parts of the world, historically water has been seen as an infinite resource: It was felt that given<br />

sufficient capital, additional water sources could always be developed, when needed. So lost water has been<br />

largely ignored by water utilities or simply accepted as a part of the operations of a water supply system.<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage <strong>Association</strong> of Albania identified <strong>Water</strong> Loss Control as the highest<br />

priority for its members, and made it the first course to be developed and scheduled into its routine training<br />

programme. The course has been given several times and continues to attract great interest. It is delivered<br />

by actual water utility staff with practical experience in the theory and procedures presented.<br />

The <strong>Association</strong> has prepared a Training Manual on <strong>Water</strong> Loss Control, which was developed by combining<br />

the best practice experience of other countries concerning water loss control with the Albanian water<br />

utilities’ specific technical and managerial conditions. The manual was revised several times to better fit<br />

the Albanian reality of the water sector. Based on the manual, a series of Power Point presentations were<br />

developed, which are used to support the training. The theoretical knowledge in the manual has been<br />

combined with practical examples from the Albanian water utilities that are a step ahead in controlling and<br />

managing their water loss.<br />

The course lasts for two days and consists of six modules. The second day includes a field exercise during<br />

which the use of water loss detection equipment is demonstrated in a “hands-on” environment. Thus,<br />

the course participants can appreciate the relative simplicity of using the equipment, and immediately<br />

appreciate the value of the technology to locate underground leaks.<br />

59


60<br />

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE WATER<br />

SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE ASSOCIATION OF<br />

ALBANIA<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage <strong>Association</strong> of<br />

Albania is a professional, not-for-profit association<br />

of water supply and sewerage professionals who<br />

wish to improve the management of the water<br />

supply and sewerage sector, making it efficient,<br />

sustainable, and effective in accordance with the<br />

current laws and regulations in Albania. The<br />

association is legally registered in the Court of<br />

Tirana.<br />

The association was formed in the spring of 2000<br />

by a group of representatives from eight water<br />

supply and sewerage enterprises in Albania. These<br />

individuals saw a need for a professional association<br />

to represent the interests of the operating<br />

enterprises in the water sector, and to raise the level<br />

of professionalism in the sector.<br />

The association’s mission statement consists of two<br />

objectives:<br />

• To improve the capacity of those working<br />

to deliver water supply and sewerage<br />

services in Albania to perform their duties<br />

in a professional, reliable and cost-effective<br />

manner.<br />

• To represent the interests of water<br />

supply and sewerage utilities and other<br />

professional in the water sector in Albania<br />

regarding laws, decrees, and regulations<br />

that may be proposed for action by the<br />

Albanian parliament or government.<br />

The association has a voting membership of<br />

water supply and sewerage utilities totalling 30,<br />

plus a number of members in other membership<br />

categories, which include private company<br />

members; institutional members; individual<br />

members; and faculty members.<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage <strong>Association</strong> of<br />

Albania has been a member of the <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Association</strong> (EWA) since November 2006. The<br />

Albanian association was the first to become an<br />

official member in the western Balkan countries.<br />

Some of the association’s programs and projects<br />

include:<br />

• Annual national conferences and exhibition<br />

of the water sector in Albania;<br />

• <strong>Association</strong> newsletter “Burimi” published<br />

in English and Albanian;<br />

• Polytechnic University student summer<br />

internship programme;<br />

• <strong>Association</strong> website;<br />

• Children’s water awareness programme;<br />

• Training courses.<br />

ALBANIAN WATER UTILITY SECTOR<br />

CHARACTERISTICS<br />

Based on the data provided by the Monitoring and<br />

Benchmarking Unit at the General Directorate of<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage, some the performance<br />

indicators for the water sector in Albania are as<br />

follows:<br />

Service Coverage<br />

The data provided by the utilities in the programme<br />

estimate a service coverage factor for water supply<br />

services of 76.4%, and for sewerage services 44.7%.


Metered Consumption<br />

<strong>Water</strong> sold and metered at customer connections<br />

in all 54 participating utilities included in the<br />

programme represents only 42% of the total water<br />

supplied to the distribution systems of these 54<br />

participating utilities.<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Production and <strong>Water</strong> Sales<br />

(Litres per capita per day)<br />

Based on 2007 data, it can be stated that the average<br />

production is 306 litres/capita/day, or at least<br />

double the suggested demand norm; the average<br />

sales are 105 liters/capita/day, i.e. two-thirds of the<br />

norm in effect.<br />

lcd<br />

350.0<br />

300.0<br />

250.0<br />

200.0<br />

150.0<br />

100.0<br />

50.0<br />

0.0<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Produced vs. Sold in liters/capita/day<br />

(Averages by Production System Types Groups)<br />

100% gravity 100% pumped 25-85% gravity<br />

Average <strong>Water</strong> Production (lcd)<br />

Average <strong>Water</strong> Sale (lcd)<br />

The graph shows average values of production and<br />

sales in liters per capita per day (l/c/d) calculated<br />

for groups of utilities created on the basis of the<br />

type of production system (gravity-based, mixed<br />

and pump-based).<br />

Bill Collection Rate<br />

61<br />

The data for 2007 show the overall bill collection<br />

rate for the 54 utilities in the Program as 74%.<br />

The collection rate for household customers is<br />

lower than collections from private entities and<br />

institutions. Specifically, the average collection<br />

rates for households, private entities, institutions<br />

and wholesale are, respectively, 69.0%, 74.6%, 93.0%<br />

and 15.0%.<br />

Non-Revenue <strong>Water</strong><br />

The data for 2007, show that non-revenue water<br />

represents 69% of the total water produced and/<br />

or purchased based on the data reported by the 54<br />

water utilities participating in the Program.<br />

31%<br />

69%<br />

Non-Revenue <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Water</strong> Sold<br />

This compares very poorly with the suggested nonrevenue<br />

water or loss norm of 15-25%. When nonrevenue<br />

water is such a high percentage, it has a very<br />

dramatic impact on the financial performance of a<br />

utility in terms of pumping costs or in lost revenues<br />

due to non-billed, unregistered customers.


62<br />

WHY ORGANIzE A WATER LOSS TRAINING<br />

COURSE<br />

The annual volume of water lost (non-revenue<br />

water), across a water supply system, is an important<br />

indicator of both water distribution efficiency,<br />

as well as administrative procedures that do not<br />

properly account for water. Controlling water loss<br />

is one of the main challenges for all water companies<br />

striving to become financially self-sustaining.<br />

Moreover, considering these figures of water loss the<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage <strong>Association</strong> of Albania<br />

identified <strong>Water</strong> Loss Control as one of the highest<br />

priorities for its members and therefore made it the<br />

first course to be developed and scheduled into its<br />

routine training program.<br />

The course has been delivered several times to<br />

date and continues to attract large applications for<br />

registration. This course provides the participants<br />

with the full knowledge needed to begin to conduct<br />

a water loss control program for a water utility. The<br />

course is delivered by actual water utility personnel,<br />

who have had practical experience in the theory<br />

and procedures presented.<br />

ASSOCIATION’S APPROACH IN DEVELOPING THE<br />

COURSE<br />

The <strong>Association</strong> prepared a Training Manual on<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Loss Control, which was developed by<br />

combining the best practice experience of other<br />

countries concerning water loss control, together<br />

with the Albanian water utilities specific technical<br />

and managerial conditions. The manual was revised<br />

several times by different professionals in the water<br />

sector mainly engineers from the <strong>Association</strong>’s<br />

Technical Committee, in order that it might better<br />

fit the Albanian reality of the water sector.<br />

Considering the best experience on water loss<br />

detection and reduction of one of our members,<br />

the Korca <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage utility, two<br />

engineers from this utility were chosen to deliver<br />

the training. Based on the manual, the trainees<br />

developed a series of Power Point presentations,<br />

which are used to support the training delivery.<br />

The theoretical knowledge found in the manual<br />

has been combined with practical examples mainly<br />

from the Korca water utility, which is a step ahead<br />

in controlling and managing water loss.<br />

The training lasts for two days, and during the second<br />

day, the participants are involved in a field exercise<br />

where the use of water loss detection equipment<br />

is demonstrated in a “hands-on” environment. In<br />

this way, the course participants can appreciate the<br />

relative simplicity and ease of using the equipment,<br />

while also developing an immediate appreciation of<br />

the value of the technology to locate unseen leaks<br />

under the ground.<br />

In support of the training course a questionnaire was<br />

developed by the trainees with different questions<br />

related to the water loss. Each participant from<br />

each of the water utilities in the course is required<br />

to fill in this questionnaire which gets collected<br />

afterwards by the trainees. After making a first<br />

interpretation of the data and answers given by the<br />

participants, the trainees invite the audience to be<br />

involved in discussions while considering different<br />

topics of the questionnaire.<br />

The course has been conducted for three years so<br />

far and around 70 people from the staff of the water<br />

utilities all over Albania have been trained.<br />

A good partner to the association in addressing the<br />

water Loss control has been as well the General<br />

Directorate of the <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage<br />

Utilities of Albania which has supported the<br />

development and organization of the <strong>Water</strong> Loss<br />

Control Training Course by the <strong>Association</strong>.


COURSE CONTENT<br />

The course provides a common basis for defining<br />

the components of water loss so that professionals<br />

in the water sector may speak with a common<br />

language when addressing this important<br />

management issue. The training modules in the<br />

course include the following:<br />

• Role of Metering and <strong>Water</strong> Demand<br />

Management<br />

• Understanding <strong>Water</strong> Balance<br />

• Performance Indicators<br />

• Pressure Management<br />

• Use of <strong>Water</strong> Audits and Leak Detection<br />

• Conduct of a <strong>Water</strong> Audit<br />

All participants in the course receive the<br />

<strong>Association</strong>’s official <strong>Water</strong> Loss Control Manual of<br />

Practice with guidelines and forms for conducting<br />

water audits and water balances. In addition, each<br />

participant receives a Certificate of Completion as<br />

evidence of having attended the training.<br />

TARGET AUDIENCE<br />

This course is particularly valuable and has<br />

been attended by <strong>Water</strong> Utility Directors, Chief<br />

Engineers, Directors of Customer Service, and<br />

Consulting Engineers. It has raised the awareness<br />

of practitioners in the water utility field and has<br />

established a common understanding of the<br />

terminology in the field and how to begin to analyze<br />

water loss and non-revenue water by breaking the<br />

problem down into more discrete elements that can<br />

each be addressed in a unique, solution oriented<br />

way.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

63<br />

• Unaccounted for <strong>Water</strong> Manual of Practice<br />

– December 2004<br />

• The Urban Institute, Washington, DC<br />

• <strong>Water</strong> Loss Control Manual<br />

• Standardized <strong>Water</strong> Audit Methodology,<br />

Julian Thornton, Mc Graw Hill<br />

• <strong>Water</strong> Audits and Leal Detection<br />

• Manual of <strong>Water</strong> Supply Practices, AWWA,<br />

Second Edition<br />

• <strong>Water</strong> Audits and Loss Control Programs<br />

• Manual of <strong>Water</strong> Supply Practices, AWWA,<br />

Third Edition


64<br />

Albania: city of Korca<br />

The case study of the Korca <strong>Water</strong> Supply and<br />

Sewerage Company<br />

Mr Petrit Tare, Director, Korca <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage Company<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

Over a period of eight years, this company has gone from supplying six hours of water per day to 24 hours<br />

of water per day, at constant pressure, while producing only one third the volume of water produced when<br />

the improvement programmes started.<br />

With financial assistance of the German government (KfW) this has involved, along with other capital<br />

investments, a comprehensive metering programme, combined with an aggressive programme to detect<br />

illegal connections, and a leak detection program.


Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro:<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Loss Situation in Bosnia and<br />

Herzegovina / Montenegro<br />

Mr Djevad Koldzo, Unaccounted-for <strong>Water</strong> expert, Hydro-Engineering Institute Sarajevo<br />

Bosnia and Herzegovina has 121 municipalities,<br />

and the same number of <strong>Water</strong> Utilities. As a result<br />

of the war conflict from 1992 to 1996, most of the<br />

water supply systems have been devastated. During<br />

the post-war period, thanks to contributions<br />

from the international community, water utility<br />

companies were able to purchase or were donated<br />

specific equipment for measurement and detection<br />

of water loss. Unfortunately, due to the poor<br />

working conditions and low wages, water utility<br />

companies are scarcely able to attract personnel<br />

with quality and expertise.<br />

Only a few years ago, water utility companies did<br />

not pay attention to water loss in their systems,<br />

especially those utilities where water was conveyed<br />

by gravity to the water supply network. Some water<br />

utilities have reached the point of collapse due to<br />

poor system maintenance, while others that use<br />

pumping systems for water supply became million<br />

debtors to power supply companies.<br />

The general opinion that water is a national good<br />

and therefore should not be paid for was common<br />

in the after war period. Besides, no water utility<br />

had more than 50% incorporated water meters<br />

in their system network, and only 35 of the 121<br />

65<br />

water utilities had measuring devices at the<br />

pertaining source. From 1997, under the patronage<br />

of international organisations, the first project for<br />

reduction of water loss was implemented in three<br />

water utilities: Livno, Zenica and Bihać.


66<br />

Later, the project for reduction of water loss started<br />

at the water utility in Konjic under the patronage<br />

of USAID. This project delivered excellent results,<br />

the water loss being reduced from 68% to 14%, and<br />

it was proclaimed the year’s best applied project<br />

by the organisation ECO LINKS, as in addition to<br />

saving water it also contributed to the preservation<br />

of the River Neretva. It also received the Greco<br />

Initiative award in Cairo. The methodology that<br />

was applied in these projects was based on the<br />

following activities:<br />

According to detailed insight into water supply<br />

systems and to specific needs for reduction of<br />

leakages, the selection of measurement zone was<br />

done. One of the important criteria for selecting<br />

the zones was number and type of consumers<br />

within the zone.<br />

Some preconditions had to be met prior to<br />

establishment of the zones in site. It included<br />

provision of the zone’s network maps and register<br />

of the zone’s water consumers, selection of a single<br />

inflow location into the zone equipped with a main<br />

chamber, the provision of adequate zone, section<br />

and house connection valves within zones, as well<br />

as accurate and calibrated water meters.<br />

The initial and one of the most important phases<br />

in applying leakage reduction methods involved<br />

the elaboration of implementation plans. These<br />

were designed on the basis of detailed site visits,<br />

and presented a guide for implementation used by<br />

team members.<br />

The plans included a dynamic plan of activities,<br />

devices and instruments to be used, and maps<br />

of each zone containing data on pipelines types,<br />

measurement and control points, etc.<br />

In line with the implementation plans, two<br />

measurement methods were implemented within<br />

isolated zones: the balance method and the night<br />

measurement campaign. The balance method<br />

provided various input data such as the average<br />

quantity of unaccounted for water (network losses<br />

and administrative losses), as well as the minimal<br />

night flow value.<br />

The night measurement campaign served to<br />

determine the quantity of total water losses and<br />

wastages divided into three components: water<br />

wastages within consumers’ installations, water<br />

leakages from the secondary network, water losses<br />

at the mains.<br />

Night measurement campaigns also provided<br />

insight into the location of leaks and wastage,<br />

according to which detailed sound leak detection<br />

at these locations was undertaken.<br />

A leak repair campaign was conducted, followed<br />

by a second measurement in the zones, aiming to<br />

obtain precise values of reduced water leakages.<br />

By 2001 most of the water utility companies had<br />

introduced water meters for all consumers, and<br />

a new law has been passed requiring that in large<br />

new buildings every apartment must have its own<br />

water meter, with remote sensing in some cities<br />

(Sarajevo, Tuzla, Bihać).<br />

<strong>Water</strong> losses in water utilities are not only<br />

physical, but also administrative nature in nature.<br />

Administrative water utilities are aware of this<br />

situation and try to procure measures for water loss<br />

reduction programmes. Until now, 12 water utility<br />

companies have done this, and two are planning to<br />

do the same.<br />

The following table gives a schematic overview of<br />

water losses in some water utilities, where water<br />

loss measures have been applied in recent years in<br />

Bosnia and Herzegovina.


Values for water loss given in the table do not only<br />

refer to physical losses, but also to administrative<br />

ones that are often higher than physical ones.<br />

A special problem is water consumption in big<br />

apartment houses fitted with only one water meter,<br />

where the quantity of water used is charged by<br />

lump sum assigned in advance. <strong>Water</strong> reduction is<br />

not possible in these buildings if there is only one<br />

regular payer in the facility. Another problem for<br />

water utilities is non-payment of bills for water<br />

supply by public institutions and state companies.<br />

Montenegro, like Bosnia and Herzegovina, was<br />

a republic of former Yugoslavia. Since May 2006<br />

Montenegro has been an independent country,<br />

and its government has already published an<br />

international tender for a project to reduce water<br />

loss in cities such as Budva and Herceg Novi i<br />

Bar that are situated on the Adriatic coast. This<br />

programme is financed by the KfW bank.<br />

Montenegro has a total of 23 municipalities and<br />

the same number of water utility companies.<br />

Despite the fact that Montenegro was not affected<br />

by the conflict, the water utilities are in a similar<br />

condition. After the finalisation of some projects<br />

on the sea coast, projects in Cetinje were initiated,<br />

and projects for Plav, Nikšić and Kotor are in the<br />

preparation phase.<br />

67<br />

A particularly interesting case is the city of Cetinje,<br />

which has 8,000 inhabitants and is situated only 18<br />

km from the coast, 780 m above the sea level. <strong>Water</strong><br />

is conveyed from the source located 121 m above<br />

the sea level, and thence by booster pumps to a cutoff<br />

chamber which is situated 884 m above sea level.<br />

Finally it is conveyed by gravity to the city’s water<br />

supply network. Thus enormous losses of extremely<br />

expensive water were combined with significant<br />

expenses for the power supply. This situation<br />

almost caused the collapse not only of the water<br />

utility company, but also of the self-administration<br />

unit, and was the reason for declaring the water<br />

loss project a state responsibility. thanks to this<br />

project, physical water losses have decreased, but<br />

the problem of illegal connections to the water<br />

utility still remain.


68<br />

CONCLUSION:<br />

Significant improvement in developing awareness<br />

of the importance of water loss activities as the<br />

most efficient way to procure “new” water supplies<br />

has been observed in both countries in recent years.<br />

The main problem, on which attention should be<br />

focused in the near future, is self-administration<br />

support in establishing new legislation to simplify<br />

water utility companies charging their claims.<br />

<strong>Water</strong> utility companies generally have the<br />

equipment needed to measure and detect water<br />

losses, but this is rarely used due to lack of qualified<br />

personnel.<br />

Therefore, the charge rate in some water utility<br />

companies is still low, and companies should have<br />

more autonomy


<strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Innovations in mitigating water losses<br />

Mr Stefan Zhelyazkov, Executive Director of Stroitelna mehanizatsia AD, Kazanlak<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong> has a well developed water supply network, based on a core of main water lines, the majority built<br />

during the 1960s and 1970s. However, some pressure water lines are more than 80 years old and in need of<br />

repair or replacement. The most common problems are leakages caused by corrosion or joint dislocation,<br />

and a decrease in cross-section due to accumulation of sediment and incrustations.<br />

Apart from the financial losses, massive leakages may cause subsidence and accidents. So replacement or<br />

at least repair of a large number of main pressure lines is urgently needed. The standard digging technology<br />

offers a well known and safe solution, but is expensive, time-consuming and inefficient. Rapid growth of<br />

cities in recent decades means that many main pressure lines are now located in highly urbanized areas,<br />

where the excavation of principal thoroughfares would cause considerable problems (and financial losses)<br />

for local residents and businesses.<br />

Trenchless technologies allow the existing pipelines to be replaced or repaired while avoiding the<br />

shortcomings of the standard pipe-laying techniques. One of the best and most widely used trenchless<br />

technologies for the rehabilitation of main pressure water lines is the “Phoenix” (also known as the<br />

Cured In Place Pipe – CIPP). It is used for the rehabilitation of pipelines that are damaged, leaking due to<br />

corrosion, have deteriorated or have dislocated joint seals, are cracked or crushed, and made of different<br />

materials (steel, asbestos-cement, cast iron, reinforced concrete, etc.) The method guarantees 100 per<br />

cent elimination of leaks and improvement of the pipe’s hydraulic properties. Until recently this particular<br />

trenchless technology had not been used in <strong>Bulgaria</strong>, despite its undisputed advantages. Its first application<br />

was for the Lovech <strong>Water</strong> Supply Company. This report also gives details of the rehabilitation of a 600 mm<br />

diameter water main line in Lovech using the “Phoenix” technology.<br />

69


70<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong> has a well developed water supply network,<br />

based on a core of main water lines, the majority<br />

of which were built during the 1960s and 1970s.<br />

However, some pressure water lines in use are 80<br />

or more years old. Their life-time is coming to an<br />

end or expired long ago, so a considerable number<br />

of them are in bad condition and need repair or<br />

replacement.<br />

The most common problems are leakages caused by<br />

corrosion or joint dislocation, as well as decrease of<br />

their cross section due to accumulation of sediment<br />

and formation of incrustations.<br />

In addition to the resulting direct financial losses for<br />

the water supply companies, massive leakages are<br />

most dangerous because they can cause collapses<br />

and accidents.<br />

Therefore there is a pressing necessity for<br />

replacement or at least repair of a considerable<br />

number of main pressure lines. The standard<br />

digging technology offers a well-known and safe,<br />

but expensive, time-consuming and ineffective<br />

solution. As a result of the rapid growth of cities<br />

during the last decades many main pressure lines<br />

are now positioned in highly urbanized areas, where<br />

the tearing up of whole principal thoroughfares<br />

would cause great difficulties (and respectively<br />

– financial losses) for the local inhabitants and<br />

business activities.<br />

Alternative trenchless technologies are available<br />

that allow the existing pipelines to be replaced or<br />

repaired while avoiding the shortcomings of the<br />

standard digging technologies.<br />

One of the best and most widely used trenchless<br />

technologies for the rehabilitation of main pressure<br />

water lines rehabilitation is “Phoenix” (also called<br />

“Cured In Place Pipe – CIPP). It is used for the<br />

rehabilitation of pipelines that are damaged,<br />

leaking due to corrosion, have deteriorated or<br />

have dislocated joint seals, are cracked or crushed,<br />

and made of different materials – steel, asbestoscement,<br />

cast iron, reinforced concrete, etc. The<br />

method ensures a 100 per cent leakage elimination<br />

and improvement of the pipe’s hydraulic properties.<br />

Until recently, this particular trenchless technology<br />

had not been applied in <strong>Bulgaria</strong> despite its<br />

indisputable advantages. Its first application for the<br />

Lovech <strong>Water</strong> Supply Company is now a fact.<br />

During the last two decades replacement of old<br />

asbestos-cement pipes with new HDPE pipes has<br />

been going on, and now 40 per cent of the pipe<br />

network that needs repair has been covered. The<br />

water main pipeline, constructed with steel pipes<br />

at the beginning of the 1980s to serve the needs<br />

of approximately 70 per cent of the population<br />

of Lovech, was not included in the scope of these<br />

activities. Its operational life is already finished and<br />

it had broken down repeatedly due to corrosion<br />

leakages.<br />

The replacement of this pipeline with a new one<br />

using traditional digging technology would be<br />

expensive, extremely time-consuming, cause<br />

serious traffic problems, and ultimately big<br />

collateral losses to society.<br />

Because of this, the above-mentioned “Phoenix”<br />

technology, or the “Cured In Place Pipe” technology,<br />

was used for rehabilitation of a part of this pipeline.<br />

This technology offers additional advantages, such<br />

as:<br />

Increased (if necessary) pipeline working pressure<br />

up to 13 – 15 bar<br />

Increased chemical resistance of the pipeline<br />

Applicable even in extremely confined and difficult<br />

surroundings


Capability of crossing single knees up to 90 0 (R =<br />

3 OD) or 4 consecutive knees of 45 0 each (when<br />

rehabilitating siphons)<br />

The rehabilitation was done in eight segments<br />

with a total length of 950 m. The diameter of the<br />

pipeline varies from 600 mm to 400 mm through<br />

the different segments.<br />

Now I would like to shortly inform you about the<br />

“Phoenix” technology and its application in the city<br />

of Lovech.<br />

The rehabilitation is performed by installing a<br />

hermetically sealing liner on the inner surface of<br />

the old pipe. The material used to line the damaged<br />

pipeline is a flexible double layer pipe. After<br />

installation it is glued tight to the existing pipe, as<br />

shown in cross-section Fig. 1.<br />

Fig. 1<br />

Position 1 is the wall of the existing pipe.<br />

Position 2 is the epoxy resin, which glues<br />

the liner to the existing pipe.<br />

Position 3 is reinforcing fabric, made<br />

of polyester fibre, which provides the<br />

structural strength of the liner and<br />

resistance to inside and outside loads.<br />

71<br />

Position 4 is a HDPE layer (1-2 mm thick),<br />

which provides a smooth inside surface of<br />

the liner and compliance with sanitary and<br />

hygienic regulations.<br />

The repair sequence of a single section of about 190<br />

m length steel pipeline with diameter 600 mm is as<br />

follows:<br />

Fig.2<br />

1. Preparation: Includes digging technological<br />

pits and delivery of the necessary materials;<br />

inspection of the pipe section with a special<br />

CCTV camera for assessment of the pipe<br />

condition; cleaning of the inside surface of<br />

the pipe from incrustations, rust, deposits,<br />

etc. with high pressure (750 – 1200 bar)<br />

water jet; repeated inspection of the<br />

cleaned pipe. (Pic.2)


72<br />

Fig. 3<br />

2. Liner installation: The liner is supplied in<br />

inverted shape, i.e. outside is the HDPE<br />

layer, inside is the reinforcing polyester<br />

fibre layer. Because the liner is flexible<br />

it is transported rolled up on reels with<br />

minimum size. Below is shown a reel with<br />

liner for the rehabilitation of a water pipe<br />

with a total length of 450 m and diameter<br />

of 600 mm. (Fig.3)<br />

The installation starts with preparation of the liner<br />

and the epoxy resin; pouring in and distribution<br />

of the resin along the liner; rolling up of the liner<br />

into the inversion drum and fixing to the inversion<br />

head. (Fig. 4).


Fig. 4<br />

The liner is rolled up inside the inversion drum, the<br />

reinforcing fabric is uniformly impregnated with<br />

the epoxy (or polyester) resin. One end of the liner<br />

is fixed to the inversion head, the other to a rope<br />

with length equal to the liner length.<br />

The other end of the rope is fixed to an axle in<br />

the center of the inversion drum. When the axle<br />

is rotating, first the rope and then the liner are<br />

wound inside the drum until the inversion head is<br />

positioned at the inversion drum flange. The flange<br />

and the whole inversion drum are hermetically<br />

sealed. Compressed air is fed inside the drum, the<br />

air pressure starts to push out the liner through<br />

the opening in the inversion head, simultaneously<br />

inverting the liner.<br />

After inversion the resin-impregnated reinforced<br />

73<br />

fabric is outside the liner and the isolating HDPE<br />

layer is inside.<br />

The continuously expanding liner “hose” is directed<br />

to the end of the rehabilitated pipe and starts to fill<br />

it (Fig. 5).<br />

Fig. 5<br />

The process continues until the “hose” reaches the<br />

technological pit at the end of the rehabilitation<br />

section. The air pressure presses the liner against<br />

the pipe walls. The curing of the pipe is accelerated<br />

by high temperature steam, produced by a steam<br />

generator (Fig. 6).


74<br />

Fig. 6<br />

When the resin cures, the excess material is cut<br />

out at both ends of the rehabilitated section and<br />

repeated CCTV camera inspection is done; this<br />

completes the installation process (Fig.7).<br />

Fig. 7<br />

3. Finishing operations: The last step of the<br />

process is the connection of the rehabilitated<br />

sections, filling in the technological pits<br />

and pavement reconstruction.<br />

Due to the elasticity of the liner before the resin<br />

is cured, the air pressure pushes the liner out at<br />

any T-junctions. These are easily located during<br />

the CCTV inspection and can be cut open with a<br />

remotely controlled manipulator.<br />

This technology allows the contractor to achieve<br />

several effects simultaneously:<br />

• Complete elimination of leakages through<br />

joints, corrosion, cracks, displacements<br />

• Improvement of the hydraulic properties<br />

of the pipe due to the smooth inside HDPE<br />

layer and the marginal decrease of the<br />

inside cross section of the pipe – a total<br />

diameter decrease of 8 mm.<br />

• Complete stop of internal corrosion<br />

• Elimination of incrustations<br />

• Increase of the pipe lifespan<br />

• Increase of pipeline resistance to vibrations<br />

and earth movements<br />

With this technology it is possible to repair pipelines<br />

with diameters ranging from 150 mm to 1200 mm,<br />

in sections of up to 400 – 600 m.<br />

In conclusion I would like to say that owing to the<br />

development of the trenchless technologies and<br />

their expanding rate of application in <strong>Bulgaria</strong>, we<br />

now have at our disposal various opportunities<br />

for a fast and effective rehabilitation of the water<br />

supply network without adverse effects to the<br />

environment and disruption of daily life.<br />

The trenchless technologies are the best solution<br />

for a successful decrease and minimization of losses<br />

of the precious natural resource potable water.


<strong>Bulgaria</strong>: city of Sofia<br />

Analysis of water consumption and water<br />

losses in DMA 348, 349 and 840 in Geo Milev<br />

residential district, Sofia<br />

Prof. Dr Gantcho Dimitrov, Head of <strong>Water</strong> and Sanitation Dept., University of Architecture,<br />

Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

An analysis was made of the type of consumption, the condition of the water supply system and its failures<br />

for District Metered Areas (DMA) 348, 349 and 840 in Sofia. On the basis of inflow measurements in the<br />

three DMA zones, the minimum night rate flow was determined. As a result, the experimental distribution<br />

curve of the inflow was obtained and the maximum hourly flow rate was determined with 95 per cent<br />

accuracy. In order to reduce water losses and the number of breakages, a pressure regulator produced by<br />

BERMAD – Israel was installed. After the regulator was put into operation, a 51 per cent reduction in the<br />

minimum night rate flow was measured.<br />

75


76<br />

The reduction of water loss from worn-out water<br />

distribution systems has a multiple effect: economic,<br />

social and ecological [2]. In order to achieve such<br />

an effect in the water supply systems of the district<br />

metered areas (DMA) 348, 349, 840 of the district<br />

metered zone (DMZ) 340 in Geo Milev district of<br />

Sofia (Fig.1), an analysis was made of the system’s<br />

condition, the type of water users, and variations<br />

in water flow and pressure [1]. The three DMAs<br />

348, 349 and 840 are fed by Dragalevtzi pressure<br />

reservoir at an elevation of 653.8 m via a Ø 400 mm<br />

steel pipeline.<br />

A comparison between the elevation of Dragalevtzi<br />

pressure reservoir (653.8 m) and the lowest<br />

elevations of the individual areas (DMA 348-550,<br />

DMA 349-552 and DMA 840) shows that the<br />

static heads are over 100 m, which predestines the<br />

necessity of their regulation.<br />

The three DMAs have a total of 38,127 m of<br />

water distribution system with 1,327 service pipe<br />

connections, which deliver water to 23,209 users<br />

living in 1,094 buildings. The majority of pipes<br />

are made of PE (37.8%), cast-iron (33.7%) or steel<br />

(21.3%). In DMA 348 PE and cast-iron pipes<br />

prevail (36.3% and 32.4% respectively), while the<br />

proportion of steel pipes is 23.9%. In DMA 349 the<br />

cast-iron and steel pipes make up 40.1% and 28%<br />

respectively. A smaller proportion (16.1%) of the<br />

water supply system of the three DMAs came into<br />

operation after 1942-1945 and 1956-1969, while<br />

the majority (50.5%) dates from after 1985.<br />

Failures in the water supply system result mainly<br />

from corroded steel pipes and service pipe<br />

connections. In the first quarter of 2009 there<br />

were 15 failures in street pipes, 6 in service pipe<br />

connections, and 1 in a stop valve. The failure rate<br />

(88 per year over a total of 38,127 m pipelines) is<br />

2.31 per kilometer per year, whereas the average<br />

in <strong>European</strong> countries is 0.8/km/year, and 0.1-0.4/<br />

km/year in the USA and Japan. [2].<br />

Electromagnetic flow meters (ABB, Aquaprobe II)<br />

and Multilog ZX loggers made by Halma <strong>Water</strong><br />

Management have been installed at the input<br />

of the three DMAs to measure water flow and<br />

pressure. These are two-channel devices that allow<br />

information transmission to the central station in<br />

the form of an SMS message every 15 minutes. The<br />

water flow and pressure data recorded between 12<br />

and 19 January 2009 are illustrated in Figures 2 and<br />

3.<br />

Figures 2 a, b, and c show that the minimum night<br />

flow for the three areas measured at М348-01 is<br />

390.58 m³/h, and for DMAs 349 and 840 is 206.73<br />

m³/h and 66.88 m³/h. The water head for the period<br />

January-March 2009 varies considerably - for DMA<br />

348 from 55 m to 80 m in the daytime, and up to 85<br />

m during the night (Fig. 3a); for DMA 349 from 55<br />

m to 80 m during the day and up to 91 m at night<br />

(Fig. 3b); and for DMA 840 from 55 m to 86 m<br />

during the day and up to 86 m at night (Fig. 3c). This<br />

is due to the different elevations of the measuring<br />

points (DMA 348 at 569.5 m, DMA 349 at 555.5 m<br />

and DMA 840 at 557.5 m) as well as to the lack of<br />

pressure regulation.<br />

Data for the measured night flow, night<br />

consumption, inevitable water losses, and water<br />

losses in the night for the three DMAs are shown<br />

in Table 1.


DMA<br />

Indicator<br />

Minimum night<br />

flow measured,<br />

m³/h<br />

<strong>Water</strong> consumption<br />

during night, m³/h<br />

Inevitable water<br />

losses, m³/h<br />

348 349 840 Total<br />

206.73 116.97 66.88 390.58<br />

5.68 7.95 5.25 18.88<br />

3.63 5.34 4.97 13.86<br />

<strong>Water</strong> losses, m³/h 197.42 103.68 56.66 357.84<br />

TABLE 1<br />

The infrastructural water loss index ILI for the three<br />

areas is 58.4, and it has been determined through<br />

the real annual water losses that CARL = 7147.82<br />

m³/d and inevitable annual water losses UARL =<br />

122.35 m³/d [3,6].<br />

Some studies in other countries indicate lower<br />

values for the ILI index, for example in the UK ILI<br />

= 2–6.2; in Australia ILI = 1-15.5; in South Africa<br />

ILI = 2-15.5, and North America ILI = 1-6.2 [4,5,6].<br />

Higher ILI values have been found in Southeast<br />

Asia – from 19 to 598, in Thailand - from 46 to<br />

543, and in Bahrain 60 [6]. The conclusion is that<br />

urgent measures should be undertaken for water<br />

loss reduction in DMAs 348, 349 and 840 through<br />

pressure regulation, regular monitoring of the water<br />

distribution system for hidden leakages (followed<br />

by fast repair action), as well as replacement of<br />

worn-out pipeline sections.<br />

On the basis of the hourly flow rate for the period<br />

January-March 2009 the experimental distribution<br />

curve was obtained (Fig. 4). The maximum hourly<br />

flow rate with 95% confidence is 627 m³/h.<br />

77<br />

In conformity with the maximum hourly flow rate,<br />

the necessary amount for fire-extinguishing, and<br />

the inflow and outflow pressure, two solutions are<br />

suggested for pressure regulation at the point M<br />

348.01 – with a pressure regulator DN 300 type 720<br />

ES – NVI with V-port manufactured by Bermad of<br />

Israel, represented in by <strong>Bulgaria</strong> by the company<br />

Industrial Parts, and a RKV RIKO Valve with DN<br />

300 from VAG, Germany. The first solution was<br />

chosen following a public procurement procedure.<br />

After installation of the pressure regulator, the<br />

head was maintained at between 46 m and 53 m,<br />

while the flow varied from 200 m³/h to 600 m³/h<br />

(Fig. 5). The result was a reduction of the minimum<br />

night flow for the three areas from 391 m³/h to 200<br />

m³/h , or by 51%.<br />

The regulation accuracy can be raised with the<br />

help of the Bermad hydro-mechanical pressure<br />

regulator 7PM, which regulates the water flow and<br />

the outflow pressure.<br />

When pump units in high-rise buildings become<br />

operational, a possible pressure reduction in DMAs<br />

349 and 840 may be expected.<br />

The following conclusions may be drawn on the<br />

basis of the measurement data analysis for DMAs<br />

348, 349 and 840 as well as of the adopted solution<br />

for pressure regulation:<br />

1. The analysis made of the condition of the<br />

water supply systems in the three areas<br />

indicates a system failure rate coefficient<br />

equal to 2.31;<br />

2. The nighttime water losses in the DMAs<br />

have been determined (see Table 2);<br />

3. The infrastructural index for water losses<br />

for the three areas has been obtained (ILI<br />

= 58.4);


78<br />

4. A statistical analysis of the water flow for<br />

the three DMAs has been made, and the<br />

experimental distribution curve of the<br />

maximum hourly water flow has been<br />

obtained (Qmaxh = 627 m³/h);<br />

5. The pressure variation at the input of the<br />

DMAs has been analyzed, and has been<br />

found to be too high (between 5.5 bar and<br />

9.1 bar); hence, its regulation is necessary.<br />

6. A DN 300 pressure regulator was chosen<br />

for the three areas, which led to a reduction<br />

of the minimum night flow from 391 m³/h<br />

to 200 m³/h , or by 51%.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

• Dimitrov, G., Reduction of the real losses of<br />

water through pressure reduction with the<br />

help of a pressure regulator for a group of<br />

DMAs in the capital city. No. G.D. - 158,<br />

28.08.2007.<br />

• Dimitrov, G., Raising the effectiveness<br />

of the water supply systems in <strong>Bulgaria</strong>.<br />

Research work. 2004.<br />

• Lambert, A., W.Hirner. Losses from <strong>Water</strong><br />

Supply Systems: Standard Terminology and<br />

Recommended Performance Measures.<br />

•<br />

The blue pages. IWA, October 2000.<br />

Lambert, A. Ten Years Experience in<br />

using the UARL Formula to Calculate<br />

Infrastructure Leakage Index. <strong>Water</strong> Loss<br />

2009. Cape Town<br />

• Limberger, R., K.Brothers, A.Lambert,<br />

R.McKenzie, A.Rizzo, T.Waldron. <strong>Water</strong><br />

Loss Performance Indicator. <strong>Water</strong> Loss,<br />

2007, Bucharest.<br />

• Mckenzie,R., C.Seago, R.Liemberger.<br />

Benchmarking of Losses from Potable<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Reticulation Systems-Results from<br />

IWA TASK TEAM. <strong>Water</strong> Loss 2007,<br />

Bucharest.<br />

• Introduction to Non Revenue <strong>Water</strong><br />

Management. <strong>Water</strong> Loss 2009. Cape Town.<br />

Fig. 1. Location of DMAs 348,349 and 840 in Geo Milev district, Sofia,<br />

with the water metering chambers M 348-01; M 349-01 and 840-01<br />

Fig. 2. <strong>Water</strong> flow variations in DMAs 348, 349 and 840 for the period<br />

12-19 January 2009; a – DMA 348; b – DMA 349; c – DMA 840


Fig. 3. Pressure height variations at the water metering chambers of<br />

DMA 348, 349 and 840; a – DMA 348; b – DMA 349; c – DMA 840<br />

Fig. 4. Distribution curve of the hourly water flow for DMA 348 for the<br />

period January-March 2009<br />

Fig. 5. <strong>Water</strong> flow variation after the installation of a pressure regulator<br />

at the input to DMA 348.<br />

79


80<br />

<strong>Bulgaria</strong>: city of Kardzhali<br />

An efficient SOLUTION for the reduction of<br />

water losses and number of FAILURES in the<br />

lower part of the town of Kardjali<br />

Prof. Dr. Gantcho Dimitrov, Head of <strong>Water</strong> and Sanitation Dept., University of Architecture,<br />

Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

The water flow and pressure at the entrance of the lower part of the town of Kardzhali were measured with<br />

the help of an electromagnetic flowmeter Aqua Probe 2. After analysis of the water consumption data,<br />

the maximum hourly flow rate and the design flow rate were determined for the lower part of Kardzhali.<br />

Taking into account the necessary pressure at the critical point of the zone and the design water flow, a<br />

pressure regulator with a nominal diameter of DN 600 was chosen, with two levels of regulation (day and<br />

night). The project was implemented in August 2008 and the total savings due to the reduction of water<br />

losses, amount of damage, reagents and power consumption for cleaning the fast filters amount to approx.<br />

BGN 1.5 million per year.


The real water loss reduction and the number of<br />

failures depend considerably on the water pressure<br />

management in the water supply systems [1, 2,<br />

3]. Studies in this respect have been performed<br />

in <strong>Bulgaria</strong> [1, 2] in certain areas of over 40<br />

settlements, where 105 pressure regulators (with<br />

direct or indirect action) are in operation. As a<br />

result, water losses have been reduced by 15% –<br />

40% of the 24h water flow, and the number of the<br />

visible failures dropped by 50% - 90% [1].<br />

Of special interest is the proposed solution for<br />

pressure regulation in the lower part of the town of<br />

Kardjali, where the water supply service is offered<br />

to 12,720 subscribers (out of a population of 27,400)<br />

through 6,550 service pipe connections.<br />

The lower part of Kardjali is supplied from the<br />

Borovitsa Dam (elevation 459m), through Ø800mm<br />

and Ø900mm steel pipelines, 25.463 km long. <strong>Water</strong><br />

is treated in a two-stage treatment plant (DWTP)<br />

through sedimentation with coagulation, filtration<br />

with rapid filters, ozonation and disinfection. <strong>Water</strong><br />

delivery to the lower part of Kardjali is realized from<br />

a pressure reservoir with 13,000m3 capacity (water<br />

surface elevation 316.25m) through a DN800 steel<br />

pipeline.<br />

The water distribution network of the lower part<br />

of Kardjali has an overall length of 75.834 km, of<br />

which 32.414 км (42.7%) are plastic pipes (PEHD<br />

and PVC), 6.034 km (8.0%) are steel pipes, and<br />

37.386 km (49.3%) are asbestos-cement pipes .<br />

The greater part of the network (57.3%) consists of<br />

worn-out steel and asbestos-cement pipes, which<br />

is the reason for frequent failures and water losses.<br />

The highest areas of the lower part (elevations<br />

265-275m) are zones of low-rise buildings (up to 3<br />

floors), while the lowest areas (elevations 230-245m)<br />

feature mainly 5-7 storey buildings, and some 10-12<br />

storey buildings. The highest (14-storey) building is<br />

at an elevation of 233m, and this is the critical point<br />

81<br />

for determination of the minimum pressure in this<br />

part of town.<br />

Data analysis of water flow, pressure maintained,<br />

and operational characteristics of the water<br />

distribution network indicated that:<br />

• The capacity of the 13,000 m3 pressure<br />

reservoir is not fully utilized, which<br />

predetermines the necessity of flushing the<br />

rapid filters at the DWTP in the night hours<br />

only, in spite of the degree of clogging;<br />

• The water delivery to the highest areas<br />

of the lower part of the town is disturbed<br />

when the rapid filters are flushed at night;<br />

• Through two stop valves, DN100 (at the<br />

market and at the Lead-Zinc Works),<br />

650m3 - 1300 m3 of water are released<br />

between 02:00h and 05:00h in the morning,<br />

which can be discharged into the pressure<br />

reservoir as well;<br />

• No constant pressure is provided in the<br />

water distribution network of the lower<br />

part of the town, which leads to frequent<br />

failures;<br />

• The subjective and improper pressure<br />

reduction through evacuation of<br />

preliminary treated water leads to<br />

•<br />

additional water losses and expenditures<br />

for reagents and power supply;<br />

There is no constant water supply to the<br />

higher areas and high-rise buildings in the<br />

zone.<br />

In order to eliminate the ndicated shortcomings in<br />

the operation of the water distribution system in<br />

the lower part of the town and to raise the reliability<br />

of the system, measurements of the water flow<br />

and pressure were carried out in the period from<br />

10 – 15 August 2007 with the help of the electromagnetic<br />

flow meter AquaProbe 2 from the ABB<br />

company at the input point to the zone, as well as


82<br />

current pressure measurements at specific points<br />

of the system.<br />

The variations in the water flow and in the pressure<br />

at the beginning of the zone (elevation 248m) are<br />

shown in Fig.1 and Fig.2 respectively. The lowest<br />

values of water flow and pressure are observed in<br />

the night due to the reduction of the supplied water<br />

amount caused by flushing the rapid filters at the<br />

DWTP. This is well illustrated in Fig.3, which depicts<br />

the variations of the water flow and pressure on 13<br />

Aug 2007. In spite of the pressure reduction during<br />

certain time intervals in the night, the relation<br />

between the minimum and average 24h water flow<br />

for the above period is from 51.6% to 69%, which is<br />

indicative of high water losses. Another specificity<br />

is that the pressure at the point of measurement<br />

(the beginning of the lower part of the town) varies<br />

considerably from 2.56 bar to 6.53 bar, which may<br />

cause failures and greater water losses.<br />

The dynamic pressures have been measured at<br />

different points of the water distribution system,<br />

being 1.6 – 3.5 bar at elevations of 265-275m, and<br />

3.5 – 6.0 bar for the remaining part of the lower<br />

zone.<br />

In conformity with the designed water flow (1,275<br />

m3 /h) and fire-protection water amount (144<br />

m3 /h), and the necessary daytime pressure of 5 bar<br />

and night-time pressure of 3.5 bar, two technical<br />

solutions have been suggested for pressure<br />

regulation at the input to the lower zone:<br />

• Pressure regulator delivered by the<br />

•<br />

company Bermad, Israel, represented by<br />

Industrial Parts Ltd., with diameter DN600,<br />

type 720-24ES with “V-port” for regulation<br />

of daytime and nighttime pressure, with<br />

hydraulic action (Figs. 4, 5).<br />

Pressure regulator with a ring-piston VAG<br />

RKV RIKO with diameter DN400, delivered<br />

by VAG-Germany, with electric drive.<br />

Following the public procurement procedure, the<br />

Bermad regulator has been selected. It was put into<br />

operation in August 2008, and its functioning has<br />

been perfect so far. The shaft containing the pressure<br />

regulator and the necessary fittings is shown in<br />

Fig.4. The pressure regulator, type 720-24ES-1 (Fig.<br />

5) has a two-chamber driving mechanism, anticavity<br />

body, V-shaped gate for normal regulation of<br />

small and large water flows, two pilot valves (2 and<br />

3), and a controller BE-PRV, which sends signals for<br />

opening and closing of the induction valve 4 and<br />

securing the necessary daily and night pressure.<br />

The considerable effect of the pressure regulator<br />

operation for the lower part of Kardjali may be<br />

expressed in the following way:<br />

• <strong>Water</strong> loss reduction by 20%;<br />

• Failure reduction by 75%;<br />

• Avoidance of treated water losses (about<br />

1,000 m3 /d) due to the elimination of the<br />

need to open the two DN100 stop valves<br />

for pressure reduction - at the Market, and<br />

Lead and Zinc Works;<br />

• Reduction of power costs and coagulants<br />

for water treatment at the DWTP;<br />

• Provision of water reserves by using the<br />

volume of the 13,000 m3 pressure reservoir;<br />

• Improvement of service quality by the<br />

water utility through the maintenance of<br />

the necessary pressure in the high areas and<br />

buildings and reduction of water supply<br />

breaks, due to a lower number of failures;<br />

• Avoidance of the role of the human factor<br />

in the maintenance of the necessary water<br />

pressures and raising the operational<br />

reliability of the water supply system;<br />

• Security of the necessary fire-protection<br />

reserve in the 13,000 m3 pressure reservoir;<br />

• Impact reduction of the rapid filters flushing<br />

at the DWTP on the water distribution.


The total economic effect of the pressure regulator<br />

implementation is about 1.5 mil. <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n Leva<br />

per year. The funds spent for shaft construction<br />

and assembly of fittings, filter and the pressure<br />

regulator have been reimbursed from the reduced<br />

operational costs (power consumption, coagulation,<br />

disinfection, failures) for 4 months.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

1. Dimitrov, G., Raising the effectiveness<br />

of the water supply systems in <strong>Bulgaria</strong>.<br />

Research work. 2004.<br />

2. Dimitrov, G., Trichkov, I. Experimental<br />

determination of water losses in municipal<br />

water supply systems. <strong>Water</strong> Economy, No.<br />

3/4, 1996.<br />

3. Frantozzi, M. Lambert.A, Including<br />

the effects of pressure management in<br />

calculations of Short-Run Economic<br />

Leakage Levels. <strong>Water</strong> Loss, Bucharest,<br />

2007.<br />

Fig.1 Variation of water flow at the input of the lower part of Kardjali<br />

for the period 10 - 15 Aug 2007<br />

Fig.2. Variation of pressure at the input of the lower part of Kardjali for<br />

the period 10 - 15 Aug 2007<br />

Fig.3 Variation of water flow and pressure at the input of the lower part<br />

of Kardjali on 13 Aug 2007 (Monday)<br />

Fig.4. Shaft with pressure regulator of Bermad, with the necessary fittings<br />

and blocks<br />

83


84<br />

Fig.5. Pressure regulator, Bermad 720-24ES with V-port and 2 modes of<br />

operation (day and night)<br />

1-pressure regulator;<br />

2-pilot valve for pressure regulation during the day;<br />

3-pilot valve for pressure regulation during the night;<br />

4-induction valve;<br />

5-controller


<strong>Bulgaria</strong> - Italy<br />

Free water balance software – <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n<br />

version<br />

Ms G. Mihaylova, Mr M. Fantozzi, Mr A. Lambert, Dr A. Paskalev, Studio Fantozzi<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

Substantial advances have been made by the IWA <strong>Water</strong> Losses Task Force (WLTF) in the last few years in<br />

developing practical water loss management methods. The IWA WLTF approach has been implemented<br />

successfully in many countries all over the world.<br />

This paper presents a free software (CheckCalcs) for calculating water balance and performance indicators<br />

for <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n water supply systems. The software has been customized for <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n water supply<br />

terminology and the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n language, in order to promote the practical application of the IWA WLTF<br />

approach in <strong>Bulgaria</strong>.<br />

The paper also includes a presentation of a case study that is representative of a typical <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n water<br />

supply system.<br />

This application represents a practical approach to introduce international best practice methodologies<br />

for non-revenue water management in <strong>Bulgaria</strong>, and aims to encourage <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n utilities to adopt IWA<br />

WLTF methodology and to improve their performance in managing water distribution systems.<br />

85


86<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

Substantial advances have been made by the IWA<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Losses Task Force (WLTF) in the last few<br />

years in the development of practical water loss<br />

management methods. The IWA WLTF Approach<br />

has been implemented with success in many<br />

countries all over the world. This paper presents<br />

free software (CheckCalcs) for calculating water<br />

balance and performance indicators for <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n<br />

water supply systems. The software has been<br />

customised for <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n water supply terminology<br />

and language, in order to promote the practical<br />

application of the IWA WLTF Approach in <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

and to improve the performance in managing water<br />

distribution systems. The paper also includes a<br />

presentation of a case study which is representative<br />

of a typical <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n water system.<br />

STATUS OF THE WATER SERVICES AND LEAKAGE<br />

IN BULGARIA<br />

Depending on the precipitation in a given year, on<br />

the territory of <strong>Bulgaria</strong> between 9 and 24 billion m3<br />

of water are produced. The average annual amount<br />

of water per capita is between 2300 m3 and 2500<br />

m3. <strong>Bulgaria</strong> therefore ranks among the five poorest<br />

countries in terms of water resources in Europe,<br />

together with Poland, the Czech Republic, Belgium<br />

and Cyprus. Although 98% of the territory is supplied<br />

with water, nearly 500,000 citizens do not have 24hour<br />

access to water during drought periods. There<br />

are a total of 52 major water supply companies, most<br />

of them publicly owned. There is one concession<br />

- Sofia. The water sector in <strong>Bulgaria</strong> has suffered<br />

from a lack of investment over the past 15 years<br />

and the incomes of the population do not allow<br />

a significant increase in tariffs. Most of the water<br />

supply systems were constructed in the period 1960-<br />

1970. The total length of mains in the water supply<br />

and water distribution network is 70,620 kilometres,<br />

and the asbestos-cement pipes, which represent<br />

70% of the network are in very bad condition. It is<br />

difficult to quantify the leaks from these, but they<br />

are mainly from the joints, as a result of the rubber<br />

gaskets losing elasticity. In the period before the<br />

changes of 1989 the effectiveness of any activities<br />

was of secondary importance, a practice which<br />

continued during the transition from communism<br />

to democracy. The combination of these factors<br />

led to inadequate provision of services, high water<br />

losses, environmental risks related to water quality,<br />

and financial difficulties for companies.<br />

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK:<br />

• The law of regulation of water supply and<br />

sewerage services<br />

This Act (from 20.01.2005) governs the regulation<br />

of prices, availability and quality of water supply and<br />

sewerage services of the operating companies for<br />

water and sewerage services. It is operated by the<br />

State Committee on Energy and <strong>Water</strong> Regulation<br />

(‘The Commission’), created under the Energy Act.<br />

• Ordinance No. 1 of 5 May 2006 for<br />

ratification of the methodology for<br />

determining admissible water losses in<br />

water supply systems<br />

The methodology is used for: status control of the<br />

water supply systems in the urban zones, analysis<br />

and valuation of the water supply systems’ status<br />

in the urban zones, determination of the total real<br />

losses quantity in the water supply systems and of<br />

the terms of reaching the admissible water losses.<br />

The part of the ordinance relating to water balance<br />

and real losses starts with the basic IWA <strong>Water</strong><br />

Balance, but then diverges from IWA recommended<br />

performance indicators by incorporating modified<br />

sections of German and UK practice, with some<br />

inconsistencies. This makes the application of the<br />

process complex and difficult to apply consistently.


IWA WLTF METHODOLOGY: GETTING STARTED,<br />

THE BASIC APPROACH<br />

The ‘4-Component’ diagram, shown in Figure<br />

1, is now widely used internationally, to explain<br />

the practical concepts for managing Real Losses<br />

as promoted by the IWA WLTF. Real Losses can<br />

be constrained and managed by an appropriate<br />

combination of all of the four management activities<br />

shown as arrows. For each system, at any particular<br />

time, there will be an Economic Level of Real<br />

Losses, this usually lies somewhere between the<br />

CARL and the UARL. The three activities are Speed<br />

and Quality of Repairs, Pressure Management, and<br />

Active Leakage Control. They all tend to be more<br />

cost-effective in the short term in Euro spent/m3 saved than pipeline and assets management, and<br />

should be considered jointly when calculating the<br />

Short Run Economic Level of Leakage (SRELL). For<br />

any distribution system, the large box represents<br />

the Current Annual Real Losses CARL (calculated<br />

from a standard IWA <strong>Water</strong> Balance, preferably<br />

with 95% confidence levels). The Unavoidable<br />

Annual Real Losses UARL are calculated from the<br />

equations developed in Lambert et al (1999), based<br />

on mains length, number of service connections,<br />

customer meter location and average pressure.<br />

The Infrastructure Leakage Index (ILI) is the<br />

non-dimensional ratio of CARL/UARL, and is<br />

the recommended ‘best practice’ Performance<br />

Indicator for operational management of Real<br />

Losses.<br />

© WRP (Pty) Ltd, 2001<br />

Fig 1: Practical Management of Real Losses using the 4 – Component<br />

method.<br />

87<br />

ILI benchmarks the efficiency of operational<br />

leakage management at current pressure. An ILI<br />

of 10 means that Real Losses volume is 10 times<br />

the lowest technically achievable real losses for the<br />

system at current average pressures.<br />

The following two figures illustrate some ILIs<br />

around the world:<br />

Fig 2: ILIs for 22 Systems in <strong>European</strong> Developed Countries (Data from<br />

ILMSS Ltd)


88<br />

Fig 3: ILIs for 33 Systems in Developing Countries (Data from WRP (pty))<br />

( 5 system ILIs > 50 have been omitted)<br />

The IWA WLTF methodology and the basic<br />

approach can be summarised in four steps:<br />

Step A: Assess your losses and identify data<br />

deficiencies;<br />

Step B: Identify ‘how are we doing’ using the<br />

most meaningful performance indicator<br />

(ILI) and the World Bank Institute Banding<br />

System;<br />

Step C: Analyse your data and start to<br />

develop your strategy and<br />

Step D: Set initial targets and get started:<br />

learn as you progress.<br />

FREE WATER BALANCE SOFTWARE – BULGARIAN<br />

VERSION<br />

Whilst the basic logic and principles of this<br />

approach are becoming widely accepted, potential<br />

users in utilities, who have had their interest and<br />

expectations raised, can easily become demotivated<br />

by a lack of appropriate calculation tools to get<br />

started. Increasingly, free software is provided<br />

by IWA WLTF members for this purpose. One<br />

of these is CheckCalcs, one of the LEAKSSuite<br />

series of educational software (www.leakssuite.<br />

com), designed by A. Lambert, leader of the first<br />

IWA WLTF, to assist and encourage water utilities<br />

everywhere to improve their leakage management<br />

performance. The softwares are designed to be<br />

easily customised and upgraded to suit the specific<br />

requirements of individual utilities, once users<br />

have become familiar with basic principles and<br />

concepts.<br />

The <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n language version of CheckCalcs<br />

was created as a collaborative unfunded project<br />

by the authors of this paper, to assist water utilities<br />

in <strong>Bulgaria</strong> to quickly identify opportunities for<br />

saving money and saving water using the IWA<br />

‘best practice’ approach. The water balance<br />

and components of non-revenue water have<br />

been customised in accordance with <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n<br />

legislation, terminology, units and language.<br />

Translation from English to <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n has been<br />

carried out by Gergina Mihaylova with technical<br />

support from Atanas Paskalev of AQUAPARTNER<br />

in Sofia.<br />

Most of the water balance information that is needed<br />

for the IWA best practice international water<br />

balance is already in the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n Ordinance No.1<br />

of 5 May 2006. The two water balances use mostly<br />

the same input data, and the terms ‘authorised’ and<br />

‘unauthorised’. Figure 4 shows the standard IWA<br />

water balance. In the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n CheckCalcs, the<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Balance calculation is split into two parts, in<br />

accordance with the national practice of separating<br />

systems into ‘external’ and ‘internal’ water supply<br />

pipelines. Both water balance calculations identify<br />

metered and unmetered components. The option of<br />

entering confidence limits helps to quickly identify<br />

deficiencies in data quality and availability, but still<br />

produces a first estimate of real losses volume even<br />

if the raw data is of doubtful quality.


Inputwatervolume<br />

Authorisedconsumption<br />

<strong>Water</strong><br />

losses<br />

Billed water Revenue<br />

water<br />

Unbilled water Nonrev-<br />

Apparentlosses<br />

Under-registered consumption<br />

Unauthorised consumption<br />

Metering process errors<br />

Unmeteredconsumption<br />

Real losses (physical<br />

losses)<br />

Fig 4: Standard IWA <strong>Water</strong> Balance<br />

Non-operating<br />

meters<br />

Unmetered<br />

low<br />

flow<br />

(Clientsideleakages)<br />

Nonuseful<br />

water<br />

enue<br />

water<br />

Because of high consumption (and intermittent<br />

supply) in many parts of <strong>Bulgaria</strong>, percentage by<br />

volume is not a reliable performance indicator for<br />

analyzing problems and identifying local priorities<br />

and cost-effective solutions. The other performance<br />

indicator used in Ordinance No 1 of 5th May 2006 –<br />

m3 /km mains/day – is also unreliable for assessing<br />

and comparing performance as it is makes no<br />

allowance for losses on service connections, and<br />

is strongly influenced by density of connections,<br />

meter location, pressure and intermittent supply.<br />

In contrast, the Infrastructure Leakage Index<br />

(ILI) allows for mains length, number of service<br />

connections, system pressure, continuity of supply,<br />

and customer meter location, and so provides a<br />

fairer comparison of performance in management<br />

of Real Losses (known as ‘Metric’ Benchmarking.<br />

This has now been recognized by the OVGW<br />

Austrian Benchmarking study which has tested<br />

the ILI and now recommends using it rather than<br />

percentages or losses per km of mains. ILI was<br />

89<br />

also used as the basis for the World Bank Institute<br />

Banding System.<br />

Using data from the ‘Internal’ <strong>Water</strong> Balance,<br />

CheckCalcs calculates ILI and other traditional<br />

performance indicators (including percentages,<br />

losses/service connection or losses/km mains<br />

depending upon density of connections) for NRW,<br />

Apparent Losses and Real Losses (see Fig 5), and<br />

(not shown here) also explains the limitations and<br />

appropriate circumstances for using each of them.<br />

Fig 5: Part of Performance Indicators Worksheet from CheckCalcs (Case<br />

study –Vratza)<br />

The software then allocates the ILI of the system<br />

within the WBI Banding system and identifies<br />

priorities for action according to which Band (A<br />

to D) the ILI lies within. The calculated system<br />

ILI is also compared with ILIs for the country or<br />

geographical region (in this case, for Developing<br />

Countries), as shown below in Fig. 6.<br />

Figure 6: Part of ‘WBI Guidelines’ Worksheet from CheckCalcs (Case<br />

study – Vratza)<br />

Thus it can be seen that CheckCalcs helps the user<br />

to achieve the first three steps (A,B,C) of the IWA<br />

WLTF methodology described above.


90<br />

To achieve Step D (the most important one) it is<br />

necessary to make a commitment to improving<br />

the management of water losses, and realise that<br />

you will learn as you progress. Further assistance<br />

and guidance can be obtained through members<br />

of the <strong>Water</strong> Loss Task Force. These are the first<br />

steps of a continual commitment to reducing the<br />

Non-Revenue <strong>Water</strong> in the <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n water supply<br />

systems. Today Aquapartner is one of an increasing<br />

number of companies that progressively apply the<br />

methodology and develop a firm foundation for<br />

NRW reduction strategies.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

• Lambert A, 2002. International Report on<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Losses Management and Techniques:<br />

Report to IWA Berlin Congress, October<br />

2001. <strong>Water</strong> Science and Technology:<strong>Water</strong><br />

Supply Vol 2 No 4, August 2002<br />

• Brown T.G., Lambert A., Takizawa M.,<br />

Weimer D, (1999). A Review of Performance<br />

Indicators for Real Losses from <strong>Water</strong><br />

Supply Systems. AQUA, Dec 1999. ISSN<br />

0003-7214<br />

• Fantozzi, M., Lambert A., (July 2005)<br />

Recent advances in calculating Economic<br />

Intervention Frequency for Active Leakage<br />

Control, and implications for calculation of<br />

Economic Leakage Levels, IWA International<br />

Conference on <strong>Water</strong> Economics, Statistics<br />

and Finance – Rethymno (Greece).<br />

• Lambert A., Ten years experience in<br />

using the UARL formula to calculate<br />

the Infrastructure Leakage Index, IWA<br />

Conference ‘<strong>Water</strong> Loss 2009’, Cape Town<br />

(South Africa), April 2009.


Cyprus: city of Lemesos<br />

Application of Key Technologies for <strong>Water</strong><br />

Network Management and Leakage Reduction<br />

Mr Bambos Charalambous, <strong>Water</strong> Board of Lemesos<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Board of Lemesos identified the need for the development and implementation of a Supervisory<br />

Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which would provide real time control and management of<br />

the water production and storage and of the distribution network. To this end the <strong>Water</strong> Board introduced<br />

an on-line control system that allowed the efficient and effective supervision, control and management of<br />

water production and storage and a continuous monitoring system of the water supply into the network.<br />

This paper describes the development and implementation of the continuous monitoring systems employed<br />

at the <strong>Water</strong> Board, their main features and benefits.<br />

91


92<br />

1. INTRODUCTION<br />

The town of Lemesos is situated on the south<br />

coast of the island of Cyprus in the north-eastern<br />

Mediterranean Sea, has a current population of<br />

170,000 and is the second largest town of the island.<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Board of Lemesos is a non-profit,<br />

semi-government organisation charged with the<br />

responsibility of supplying potable water to the<br />

town and environs of Lemesos. The <strong>Water</strong> Board<br />

has 110 employees, covers a supply area of some 70<br />

km², having well fields, storage reservoirs, pumping<br />

stations and underground water distribution<br />

networks.<br />

2. BACKGROUND<br />

It is essential to describe briefly the operation and<br />

management of the water supply system of the<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Board in order to provide the reader with<br />

a basic understanding of the water production,<br />

storage and distribution systems.<br />

The topographical location of Lemesos is such<br />

that the elevation of the supply area varies from<br />

sea level to 315 metres above sea level. To ensure<br />

acceptable pressure limits to consumers the supply<br />

area is divided into seven pressure zones, each with<br />

its own storage reservoir. <strong>Water</strong> from the boreholes<br />

is pumped to the lowest elevation storage reservoir<br />

at zone 1 and, depending on the demands at higher<br />

elevations, water is successively pumped to zone 2<br />

up to zone 7 reservoirs. <strong>Water</strong> is also obtained from<br />

a treatment plant by gravity to reservoirs at zones<br />

1, 2 and 3. <strong>Water</strong> from the lowest reservoir at zone<br />

1 is transferred to the highest reservoir at zone 7<br />

by successive pumping via high lift transfer pumps<br />

located at each reservoir site (Figure 1).<br />

Figure 1. <strong>Water</strong> Storage Schematic<br />

Initially the water production network was<br />

operated manually with underground borehole<br />

pumps and high lift transfer pumps being operated,<br />

depending on demand, by manually switching the<br />

pumps on and off. Operational problems, such as<br />

storage reservoir over spilling or emptying, and<br />

pumping station malfunctions frequently occurred.<br />

To resolve these problems it was required to have<br />

personnel attending the works on a 24-hour basis,<br />

which, coupled with mandatory manual activities<br />

such as daily readings of the district meters and<br />

manual operation of control valves and pumps,<br />

resulted in additional costs to the <strong>Water</strong> Board.<br />

3. IMPLEMENTATION OF A CONTROL SYSTEM<br />

In 1986, the <strong>Water</strong> Board embarked on an ambitious<br />

expansion programme. This included, inter alia,<br />

major extensions to the distribution system,<br />

construction of new storage reservoirs and the<br />

elaboration of a study regarding the installation of<br />

a telemetry system to provide Supervisory Control<br />

And Data Acquisition (SCADA) facilities for the<br />

water production and storage system.<br />

The SCADA system comprises a control centre and<br />

14 outstations, which are located at the various<br />

wellfield, storage reservoir and pumping station<br />

sites in order to monitor and control the water


production and storage system. Communication<br />

between the control centre and the outstations is<br />

through dedicated telephone lines provided by the<br />

local telecommunications authority.<br />

4. THE SCADA SYSTEM<br />

The system is designed to indicate flow<br />

measurements, water levels in reservoirs and<br />

boreholes and the operating status of all pumping<br />

equipment. Information and data is collated at the<br />

remote sites, such as pumping stations and storage<br />

reservoirs, and sent through the outstations via<br />

dedicated telecommunication lines to the control<br />

centre.<br />

The supply and installation cost of the SCADA<br />

system including all subsequent extensions and<br />

upgrades at current values is approximately<br />

€ 670,000. It is worth mentioning that the<br />

operating cost of the system is considered high at<br />

approximately € 100 per month per leased line, 14<br />

in total.<br />

The installation of the SCADA system contributed<br />

towards the efficient and effective operation<br />

of the water production and storage system.<br />

Data collection enables accurate water demand<br />

forecasting scenarios to be made thus enhancing<br />

forward planning and programming.<br />

5. DISTRICT METERED AREA (DMA)<br />

MONITORING<br />

The experiences gained from the application of<br />

the SCADA system proved invaluable when there<br />

was the need to implement continuous monitoring<br />

of the flow into discrete areas of the distribution<br />

network called District Metered Areas (DMAs),<br />

and of the pressure. Both flow and pressure are<br />

essential for the implementation of any leakage<br />

reduction strategy.<br />

93<br />

The selection criteria for the continuous monitoring<br />

system were decided taking into consideration<br />

present and future needs and requirements. To<br />

this end careful consideration and examination<br />

of the available techniques, methodologies and<br />

technologies was undertaken in order to adopt<br />

an appropriate system. The selection criteria used<br />

were the following:<br />

• Small capital expenditure with minimum<br />

maintenance.<br />

• Easy to install, simple and easy to operate.<br />

• Low running costs and easy to expand.<br />

• Continuous recording and storing of data<br />

on site.<br />

• Downloading of data on request or at<br />

preset times.<br />

• Multi communication capability via PSTN,<br />

GSM, Radio, WWW.<br />

After careful consideration it was decided to employ<br />

a telematic type of solution, which combines<br />

information technology and telecommunication<br />

networks using the World Wide Web for data<br />

transfer.<br />

The heart of the system is a programmable<br />

controller installed at each DMA meter location<br />

that is capable of precise registration of events and<br />

optimal archiving of stored data. The overall cost<br />

for each station is approximately €1,800, but most<br />

importantly the operating cost of such a solution is<br />

extremely low, €14/month.<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Board gains several benefits to from the<br />

application of the above DMA monitoring system<br />

(Figure 2). The operational cost of the system is<br />

very low, and it basically requires no maintenance.<br />

The system provides an environmentally friendly<br />

solution utilising solar energy for power. It is


94<br />

considered to be the backbone of the leakage<br />

management strategy, providing data on a<br />

continuous basis that is used to analyse the<br />

water loss in the DMAs and set priorities for leak<br />

location. In addition it provides early warning for<br />

large bursts, thus triggering the mechanism for leak<br />

location and repair.<br />

Figure 2. DMA Monitoring System<br />

6. FUTURE TRENDS<br />

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the<br />

existing telecontrol systems need to be expanded<br />

and integrated with other systems to provide better<br />

and more efficient management. The <strong>Water</strong> Board<br />

recognised this and upgraded its system to operate<br />

under the Windows environment thus making the<br />

first step towards integration with systems such as<br />

Geographical Information Systems (GIS).<br />

A combination of the GIS and SCADA systems<br />

would provide an excellent basis for network models<br />

for more efficient and effective network planning.<br />

Furthermore, this combination would be further<br />

enhanced by linking it to the customer billing data.<br />

Use of Automatic Meter Reading for the customers’<br />

meters will improve both the accuracy of the work<br />

and level of customer service.<br />

7. CONCLUSION<br />

It is recognised that the implementation of on-line<br />

control and monitoring technology by the Board<br />

has resulted in higher efficiency and effectiveness<br />

in the planning and operation of the water supply<br />

system.<br />

The benefits gained from the system were immediate<br />

and apparent. The system contributed to the better<br />

and more efficient operation and management<br />

of the network, resulting in cost reduction.<br />

Furthermore there was a marked enhancement of<br />

the Board’s image resulting in a high standard of<br />

service to its customers.


Czech Republic<br />

A Conceptual Approach to <strong>Water</strong> Loss<br />

Reduction<br />

Mr Miroslav Tesarik, Project Manager, Danish Hydraulic Institute, DHI a.s.<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

<strong>Water</strong> utilities have made considerable efforts to reduce water loss from their pipe networks during recent<br />

decades. However, they often focus on a limited range of measures, such as using the best equipment and<br />

organization to detect and repair breakages, stabilizing the boundaries of existing supply zones, and measuring<br />

inflow into the zones to evaluate NRW. Such an approach can be relatively ineffective in some parts of the water<br />

supply system. The effect of leakage detection is often low in large supply zones with uneven conditions. Pipe<br />

networks with high or unstable pressure conditions have a high leakage and breakage rate, and even if leakage<br />

detection is efficient, overall leakage from the network remains high. This paper presents methodology and<br />

results of integrated conceptual water loss projects comprised of several interconnected parts, such as:<br />

• Building and calibrating a hydraulic model of the water supply system.<br />

• Initiating measurement campaigns as the main instrument to survey leakage distribution, verify<br />

network capacity and identify network shortcomings.<br />

• Conducting a detailed leakage distribution survey.<br />

• Verifying the capacity of the supply system, identifying network shortcomings and impediments<br />

to future requirements.<br />

• Evaluating future needs, especially considering urban development, and proposing appropriate<br />

system augmentation.<br />

• Evaluating existing pressure conditions and proposing operational measures and system<br />

augmentations to optimize them for the future.<br />

• Evaluating the existing metering system and proposing divisions to the supply zone with appropriate<br />

flow measurement.<br />

• Evaluating hydraulic and water quality parameters in a hydraulic model to ensure an optimal<br />

solution.<br />

Application of this methodology is discussed using results from a NRW case study project for the city of<br />

Blagoevgrad, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>.<br />

95


96<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

In many cities the water losses reach very high<br />

levels. With regard to the fact that increased<br />

leakages may have a number of causes, it is<br />

necessary to examine a range of influences and<br />

take these into account in the resultant long-term<br />

solution of leakage reduction. The conceptual<br />

approach to the leakage detection in water supply<br />

systems is a fundamental tool for the location of the<br />

leakage and contributes highly to better utilization<br />

of available water sources.The conceptual approach<br />

is also essential for minimising both the investment<br />

and operational costs connected with the water<br />

supply systems.<br />

BUILDING OF A HYDRAULIC MODEL OF THE<br />

WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM<br />

The model topology of the WSS was built based on<br />

AutoCAD files provided by the client. Additional<br />

information about the layout of the pipe network<br />

of the existing system was supplemented during<br />

model building, based on the operational map and<br />

the discussion with the Operator.<br />

The whole extent of the pipe network was divided<br />

for evaluation purposes into subareas, based<br />

on experiences from a survey and monitoring<br />

campaign. The subareas are just logical units, not<br />

the pressure zones, while the WWS in Blagoevgrad<br />

is to a large extent interconnected. A complete final<br />

model is presented in the figures below.<br />

Figure 1 Distribution system- evaluation areas<br />

Figure 2 Distribution system –pipe diameters


MEASUREMENT CAMPAIGNS<br />

As the next step, the systematic measurements of<br />

flows and pressures have to be carried out.<br />

SELECTION OF SUPPLY zONES WITH<br />

SIGNIFICANT LEAKAGE<br />

For screening of supply zones from a point of view<br />

of the leakage magnitude, it is necessary first of<br />

all to conduct a complex evaluation of all supply<br />

zones from the perspective of the balance of water<br />

consumption and supplied water. For this purpose it<br />

is necessary to include all the available information.<br />

The result is an overview of all the components of<br />

inflow into the individual supply zones (domestic<br />

consumption, big consumer consumption, leakage).<br />

On the basis of the data collection, processing and<br />

analysis in collaboration with the sewer operator,<br />

it is possible to select those supply zones with<br />

a significant leakage and finally to propose the<br />

measurement campaign, i.e. to divide the selected<br />

supply zones into measurement sections and define<br />

the necessary setting changes of the water supply<br />

system (closing some valves etc.).<br />

SYSTEMATIC MEASUREMENTS OF FLOWS AND<br />

PRESSURES<br />

Systematic measurements of flows are not only<br />

basic tools for leakage quantification, but they also<br />

help the operators and administrators of water<br />

supply systems to better manage the operation of<br />

the system. During normal operation, some hidden<br />

problems may not emerge, e.g. (partly) closed<br />

pipes, encrusted pipelines, hidden major failures,<br />

incorrect data in technical documentation, etc.<br />

Consequently serious complications can appear,<br />

97<br />

resulting in substandard water supply conditions,<br />

especially as regards pressure conditions in the case<br />

of new water intakes from a network with already<br />

reduced capacity, or during failures, planned lockouts<br />

of pipelines, etc. Apart from mathematical<br />

model calibration, the main reason for monitoring<br />

the pipeline network is to obtain information on<br />

leakage, overall network operation and to check the<br />

pipeline network capacity. A detailed monitoring<br />

campaign can identify and locate problems both<br />

in the main distribution system and in particular<br />

supply zones. Closed hydraulic valves, strongly<br />

encrusted sections, significant deviations from<br />

operational documentation (GIS), etc., can be<br />

identified.<br />

In the city of Blagoevgrad, 2 portable Fluxus flow<br />

meters and 10 portable Sewad pressure meters<br />

were used for the measurement of inflow to and<br />

pressure distribution in several separable supply<br />

zones for the time span of 2-6 days.<br />

SHORT MONITORING CAMPAIGNS UNDER<br />

STANDARD OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS<br />

Monitoring, as provided by the operator (the stable<br />

monitoring sites), is most often supplemented by<br />

the portable units located on the key inflows to the<br />

distribution system. These monitoring campaigns<br />

can be used for filling the gaps in the knowledge<br />

about the water supply system operation and for<br />

the basic model calibration.


98<br />

Gramada supply zone.<br />

Reservoir 7000 Istok supply zone<br />

Figure 3 Example of measured pressures (upper part of pictures) and<br />

flows (lower part of pictures) in 2 supply zones in the city of Blagoevgrad<br />

SPECIAL MONITORING CAMPAIGNS<br />

A very effective method for detecting non-standard<br />

events in water supply networks is to use hydraulic<br />

models of the water supply network in combination<br />

with monitoring the pressure and flow conditions<br />

during non-standard loading situations, especially<br />

during hydrant tests.<br />

Figure 4 Measured pressures in the central part of the city of Blagoevgrad<br />

during a period of serious pipe breakdown and during the<br />

partial zone separation, i.e. during non-standard operational conditions<br />

Hydrant tests in selected locations are combined<br />

with pressure measurements in several places<br />

in the network. The allocation of such tests and<br />

measurements, or of other manipulations in the<br />

water supply network, is adapted to specific needs.<br />

Hydrant tests yield measured sets of pressure values<br />

for various water intakes from hydrants. Evaluation<br />

by the mathematical model can provide very detailed<br />

information on the characteristics of the water<br />

supply network, i.e about the quality of the hydraulic<br />

connection between the place of hydrant water<br />

intake and the place of the pressure measurement.<br />

The specification of the monitoring campaign<br />

depends on the purpose of the campaign, on<br />

information given by the operator and on the<br />

preliminary mathematical model simulations.<br />

The real conditions in the water supply network,<br />

especially the location of usable hydrants, must be<br />

taken into account. Last but not least, it is necessary<br />

to evaluate and discuss with the operator potential<br />

risks to water quality, etc.<br />

LEAKAGE DETECTION – NIGHT MEASUREMENT<br />

CAMPAIGN<br />

As stated before, the measurement of distribution<br />

of leakages in the water supply system is based on<br />

the temporary division of the piping network into<br />

measurement sections. Measurement sections<br />

are separated by closing regular or zone valves.<br />

With this network setting, the measurement of<br />

night inflows into measurement sections and the<br />

measurement of pressures have to be carried out.<br />

Consequently, the leakage is evaluated in individual<br />

measurement sections while taking into account<br />

large night consumers, if there are any.<br />

The principle for location of the leakage is to divide<br />

the measurement sections by closing the valves into<br />

smaller and smaller parts. The manipulation with


the valves must be feasible from an operational point<br />

of view, so close collaboration with the water supply<br />

system operator is absolutely necessary. Leakage into<br />

measurement sections is then evaluated with regard to<br />

night consumption of large clients, and, if applicable,<br />

the objectified night inflow. In addition to the actual size<br />

of the leakage [l/s], it is also possible to evaluate other<br />

leakage indicators such as unit leakage [l/s/km], which<br />

takes into account the length of the water distribution<br />

network and indicates locations of the network where<br />

subsequent detailed detection of the leakage and repair<br />

of hidden leakages will be most effective.<br />

Based on the night minimum flows and also taking<br />

into account the measurements carried out in<br />

specific operational conditions, the first estimate of<br />

the leakage level for the current status supply zones<br />

was carried out in the city of Blagoevgrad.<br />

Areas Leakage [l/s]<br />

Osvobozdenie 2<br />

Central City Nord 40<br />

Elenovo 25<br />

Gramada 2<br />

Strumsko 30<br />

Central City South 20<br />

Orlova Cuka 5<br />

Jampalica 3<br />

Total 127<br />

Table1 Leakage estimate based on the measurement campaign result in<br />

the city of Blagoevgrad<br />

EVALUATION OF FUTURE REqUIREMENTS<br />

Important inputs for the definition of future water<br />

supply requirements are the Urban Development<br />

Plan, projected demands in the system, planned<br />

reconstruction of AC pipes and existing conceptual<br />

studies.<br />

The major problem of the water supply system in the<br />

99<br />

city of Blagoevgrad is the bad technical condition<br />

of existing AC pipes. Consequently, a huge<br />

reconstruction program has been prepared, which<br />

has to be included in the conceptual approach to<br />

water loss reduction.<br />

EVALUATION AND OPTIMISATION OF<br />

PRESSURES<br />

Optimisation of pressures is a measure which is<br />

important primarily from the perspective of the<br />

long-term impact on reduction of water leakages<br />

and the breakdown rate and increasing the life<br />

span of the network. According to experience, a<br />

reduction of pressure by 10% causes a reduction<br />

in the breakdown rate by 25%. Optimisation of<br />

pressures is thus very important for operational<br />

and investment savings. For the evaluation of the<br />

optimum pressures in the network, it is necessary<br />

to take into account the height of the housing<br />

development. Pressures of 40 m w.c. may be low in<br />

a high rise housing development, but too high for<br />

a housing development comprising family houses.<br />

Figure 5 Principle of assessment of pressures in water supply systems<br />

Through simulation in the model it is possible to<br />

evaluate the pressures above the height of the housing<br />

development relatively precisely. At the same time it is<br />

possible to evaluate the causes of the main problems<br />

which prevent optimisation of pressures.<br />

For the city of Blagoevgrad, a new system of<br />

conceptual pressure zones and corresponding<br />

supply zones was recommended.


100<br />

Figure 6 Analysis of terrain elevation<br />

Figure 7 Final proposal of the supply zones<br />

The inflow measurement for supply zones should<br />

be installed at existing outflow pipes from the<br />

reservoirs, as part of new manholes for the<br />

installation of pressure reduction valves. In case of a<br />

gravity system, it is proposed to divide the network<br />

into several supply zones (in the example of the city<br />

of Blagoevgrad this is the case for the Dzampalica,<br />

New Elenovo, Zapad and Cakalica gravity systems).<br />

The optimization of pressures in zones can be<br />

evaluated effectively with the help of graphical<br />

output, as demonstrated in Figure 8.<br />

Figure 8 Example of the analysis of pressures for the future status of<br />

the city of Blagoevgrad<br />

CONCLUSION<br />

The leakage situation of individual water supply<br />

systems reflects a whole range of factors. Of these<br />

the most significant are inappropriate material<br />

used for the construction of the water supply<br />

systems, the increasing age of the water supply<br />

systems and the related deterioration of their<br />

technical condition. This situation can be described<br />

as the historical debt in the renewal of the water<br />

supply systems. The large scale rehabilitation of the<br />

water supply pipes, which is currently underway


in many cities, will certainly help in the reduction<br />

of overall leakage and simultaneously opens the<br />

way for continuous fighting of leakage on a more<br />

detailed scale and the optimization of pressures, as<br />

described in the paper.<br />

As has been shown for the city of Blagoevgrad, even<br />

in a case where it is difficult to define the supply<br />

zones for the existing system, it is possible to get<br />

valuable information about the level of leakage in<br />

the zones through a comparatively short term flow<br />

and pressure monitoring campaign. This, together<br />

with the analysis of the current status of the system<br />

and future requirement analysis, forms a basis for<br />

conceptual recommendations, which include the<br />

draft of the pressure and supply zoning. Proper<br />

pressure zone definition, as well as definition of<br />

locations for steady measurements of flows (supply<br />

zoning), can contribute efficiently to water loss<br />

reduction in water distribution systems.<br />

101


102<br />

Czech Republic<br />

<strong>Water</strong> loss management - Veolia’s experience<br />

in the Czech Republic<br />

Mr Bruno Jannin, Project Manager, Veolia<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

This paper gives a technical and economic assessment of the water loss management that has been successfully<br />

implemented by Veolia in the Czech Republic during the last ten years. Veolia started operations in Pilsen in<br />

the Czech Republic in 1996, and is today the leading operator with approximately 6,000 employees, serving a<br />

population of 4 million and with an annual turnover of €500 million. When Veolia took over the management<br />

of local operators, water loss and the high level of non-revenue water (NRW) was just one of many problems.<br />

However, tackling this particular issue efficiently was essential to create a positive image for the newlyestablished,<br />

private and foreign-based operator. The reduction of NRW was also a financial necessity.<br />

Very different situations may be encountered with respect to water loss and NRW, from completely deficient<br />

management, which may eventually lead to shortage of water for the customers, to extremely well run networks<br />

with an efficiency ratio of more than 95 per cent. The water services taken over by Veolia in the Czech Republic<br />

were in an intermediate situation, with NRW at approximately 40 per cent (essentially physical water losses, as<br />

commercial losses were at low level). By comparison, the NRW rates of 20 per cent in rural areas and 10 per<br />

cent in built-up areas commonly observed, for example, in Veolia’s French water services, are a good indicator<br />

of the level of performance that can be achieved over time. To that end, Veolia applied an integrated approach<br />

based on methodology and technologies that had been successful in similar situations. Efficient water loss<br />

reduction relies on a combination of good management of the network pressure, identification of leakages,<br />

efficient repair, and replace wment of worn-out sections. The experience of the staff and their in-depth<br />

knowledge of the network are necessary but not sufficient. Modern technology such as GIS, network<br />

modelling and leakage detection equipment is indispensable to reach a satisfactory level of performance.<br />

Today NRW is about 20 per cent in Veolia’s Czech operations and is still improving. In Prague, network<br />

efficiency has increased by 2 per cent per year since Veolia took over operations, and will reach 80 per cent<br />

(20% NRW) this year. Over the same period, the volume supplied to the network has fallen significantly,<br />

and water loss fell from 48 million m3 in 2001 to 23 million m3 in 2008.


Greece<br />

A Paradigm Shift in <strong>Water</strong> Loss Audits:<br />

High accuracy water meters as a means to decrease non-useful<br />

water lost in client-side leakages<br />

Mr Stefanos Georgiadis, Assistant General Manager, Network Facilities, Athens <strong>Water</strong><br />

Supply and Sewage Company S.A. & Mr Panagiotis Georgiadis, Engineering Consultant,<br />

MPhil - (Oxide Ltd)<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

The human species has always relied on water for survival. This makes potable water one of the most prized<br />

and valuable goods. Thus minimizing water loss has always been a major concern. Several ways of dealing<br />

with this issue have emerged.<br />

Decades ago the main focus was on the technical aspects of water loss, and was the first attempt to control<br />

losses scientifically and on a large scale. It involved the categorization of water being lost, and water<br />

reaching the meter. This approach was strictly technical and relied on losing as little water as possible<br />

throughout the distribution network.<br />

More recently, a new trend has emerged which is now used globally. This is based on financial criteria<br />

and takes more factors into account. It has led to increased insight into the problem, and is how the water<br />

industry looks at water losses today. It involves the categorization of water into water accounted for and<br />

water unaccounted for (or measured and non-measured water), and relies mainly on maximizing the<br />

metering capabilities of an organization in addition to reducing leakages in order to minimize financial<br />

losses, thus adding the financial perspective to the technical one.<br />

This paper takes a somewhat different approach to the issue. The key factor is where the water ends up. A<br />

new categorization of water is therefore proposed: useful and non-useful water. This involves considering<br />

both water usage and social criteria in order to establish which factors affect the issue, and thus determine<br />

the actions to be taken. Based on minimizing household losses, and realizing the link between water loss<br />

and the sewage network, this new perspective is hoped to greatly improve the financial situation of water<br />

companies by minimizing water wastage and eliminating water losses.<br />

103


104<br />

HISTORIC OVERVIEW<br />

From a historic point of view mankind has always<br />

relied on water for its well-being. Access to<br />

sources of fresh drinking water still remains a very<br />

important issue worldwide. In more recent years<br />

and in order to satisfy these needs, the main issue<br />

in developed and developing countries has been the<br />

construction and expansion of water distribution<br />

networks. These works are normally carried out in<br />

order to cover already existing needs in irrigation<br />

and potable water, on a tight schedule and budget<br />

and with increased societal pressure.<br />

After having being constructed, water networks<br />

need to be operated, which requires a greater skillset<br />

of asset management, and which the authorities<br />

usually lack. Asset management is very important,<br />

and is the only way to ensure that the infrastructure<br />

will deliver maximum benefits in financial and<br />

hydrological terms. After all, the end goal is to meet<br />

the water usage needs of the community.<br />

Meeting those needs proved of course to be a task<br />

much harder than expected. The amount of water<br />

initially provided to the network and the amount of<br />

water measured when reaching the end customer<br />

have always been two entirely different figures.<br />

This gave birth to the concept of water loss audits.<br />

The difference in these two figures, as well as other<br />

problems, such as water network malfunctions,<br />

water pressure drops during peak hours, and the<br />

ever increasing demand for water were hastily<br />

attributed solely to water losses through leakages<br />

in the network, also known as physical losses. As a<br />

result, a trend for extensive water leakage detection<br />

programmes was developed in the early 1980s.<br />

These programmes yielded significant results in<br />

water saving, but are costly due to the rigorous<br />

manual labour and specialised technology required.<br />

Almost a decade later, in the early 1990s, instead of<br />

physical losses more emphasis was placed on the<br />

new and broader concept of non-revenue water.<br />

This was a more accurate way of determining water<br />

losses, since it included all physical losses, plus a<br />

number of other factors, and more importantly:<br />

• <strong>Water</strong> tank overflows<br />

• Post-works washing of networks and<br />

branches<br />

• Illegal water connections<br />

• Errors in water measurement processes<br />

• Errors in the water metering devices and<br />

mechanisms (mainly water-meters)<br />

A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW<br />

The parameterisation of the problem of water losses<br />

has been a field of extensive research and elaborate<br />

studies worldwide, although it is far from easy to<br />

find all the parameters to the problem and the way<br />

they affect the end result.<br />

At first, water loss audits adopted a technical<br />

point of view, which eventually gave way to a more<br />

financial and managerial angle, that of non-revenue<br />

water. This paper proposes an entirely different<br />

point of view regarding water loss audits, that of<br />

actual water usage. It is the writers’ belief that the<br />

most accurate way to determine water losses is to<br />

categorize water into useful and non-useful water.<br />

Such a categorization envelops the problem of<br />

water losses in the best possible way, and requires<br />

a different perspective in the way water loss audits<br />

are carried out today. The proposed categorization<br />

for different types of losses is clearly illustrated in<br />

the following table:


Inputwatervolume<br />

Authorisedconsumption<br />

<strong>Water</strong><br />

losses<br />

Billed water Revenue<br />

water<br />

Unbilled water Nonrev-<br />

Apparentlosses<br />

Under-registered consumption<br />

Unauthorised consumption<br />

Metering process errors<br />

Unmeteredconsumption<br />

Real losses (physical<br />

losses)<br />

CLIENT-SIDE LEAKAGES<br />

Non-operating<br />

meters<br />

Unmetered<br />

low<br />

flow<br />

(Clientsideleakages)<br />

Nonuseful<br />

water<br />

enue<br />

water<br />

Prior to elaborating on the distinction between<br />

useful and non-useful water, let us cast a quick<br />

glance at what is predominantly viewed as the<br />

source of the problem.<br />

The most overlooked factor of the non-useful water<br />

problem is client leakage at consumer households<br />

and facilities. The seemingly low flow levels<br />

involved, i.e. a tap dripping, makes us wrongly<br />

assume that there is a small amount of water lost,<br />

ignoring that this amount may well exceed the water<br />

actually used by a family. This misunderstanding is<br />

due to the inherent incapability of water meters to<br />

measure the low flows involved.<br />

Despite the lack of reliable case studies that<br />

quantify client-side leakages in a water distribution<br />

network, we can estimate that it is comparable to<br />

105<br />

the amount of evident and non-evident network<br />

water pipe leakages (physical losses). Yet water<br />

companies invariably emphasize physical losses<br />

while undermining client-side leakages.<br />

<strong>Water</strong> that is lost through client-side leakages always<br />

ends up in sewage treatment facilities, instead of<br />

enriching the aquifer, as commonly assumed. In<br />

terms of financial cost, this means we have to pay<br />

double the cost of distribution network leakages,<br />

since this water is not only lost, but also treated<br />

as impure. In terms of environmental impact this<br />

poses an unnecessary delay to the natural water<br />

cycle, while depriving both the consumers and<br />

the environment (gardens, parks, etc.) of perfectly<br />

serviceable water.<br />

Client-side leakage is a giant misunderstanding.<br />

• Its impact is much greater than commonly<br />

assumed<br />

• Its financial and environmental cost is<br />

enormous<br />

• It serves absolutely no purpose<br />

• It is visible, but it usually remains unseen<br />

• It is easy and cheap to repair, but it usually<br />

remains unrepaired<br />

In contrast to network leakages, client side leakages<br />

will not be solved by implementing specialised<br />

technology or high cost methodology. It suffices<br />

to make the problem evident by helping the public<br />

understand its importance and rectify relevant<br />

antisocial behaviour (leaving such leakages<br />

unattended). Over time, this can be achieved<br />

through environmental education, awareness<br />

campaigns, etc. On the short run though, we must<br />

explore other, more tangible solutions.<br />

By utilizing modern water meter technology, we can<br />

both reveal the problem and accurately measure its<br />

extent. This is a step towards fixing the problem or<br />

at least towards gathering the necessary funds to<br />

treat the purposelessly lost water before returning


106<br />

it to the environment. After all, the replacement of<br />

old water meters with high technology new ones<br />

of increased sensitivity, always yields impressive<br />

results for the water supplier, as we will see below.<br />

PROFILING URBAN CONSUMPTION<br />

Of course we must not fall into the trap of assuming<br />

that all water distribution systems are identical.<br />

Different potable water usages display distinct<br />

demand profiles. Perhaps the most common one<br />

nowadays is that of urban consumption. This<br />

profile is derived from the demand of potable water<br />

for usage in everyday activities within a regular<br />

household (e.g. washing the dishes, taking a shower,<br />

etc). The urban consumption profile is more or less<br />

standard for all modern cities and is determined<br />

by the same social behaviours; it follows certain<br />

patterns, trends and characteristics:<br />

• The minimum water flow normally<br />

required for everyday needs is always more<br />

than 200 lt/h (small valves and tanks, e.g.<br />

toilet flush)<br />

• The maximum water flow normally<br />

required for everyday needs is in the order<br />

of 1200-1500 lt/h, only occurring in the<br />

rare case of simultaneous usages.<br />

This is the outcome of the very nature of urban<br />

usage of potable water. A fully open running tap<br />

has a water flow in the order of 1000 lt/h. <strong>Water</strong> is<br />

always required in large flows but for brief periods<br />

of time. This means that a constant low flow of<br />

under 50lt/h cannot correspond to human usage.<br />

The observation of such a low constant flow is a<br />

certain sign of client-side leakage.<br />

Bearing in mind that the average household<br />

consumption of water per day does not exceed 500<br />

lt, we can estimate that the average time of water<br />

consumption per day does not exceed 30 minutes,<br />

which corresponds to 2% of total time. That is, only<br />

1 out of 50 water meters actually registers water<br />

consumption at any given time.<br />

Therefore, with sufficiently high specification<br />

and sensitivity water meters, it is easy to perceive<br />

client-side leakage when performing the actual<br />

measurement, by the low flow indication (slow<br />

turning of the flow indicator), stressing the<br />

importance of the minimum start flow (Qs).<br />

HIGH ACCURACY WATER METERS: THE<br />

SOLUTION TO AN UNDETECTED PROBLEM<br />

It is most important to stress that the notion of a<br />

high accuracy water meter cannot be separated<br />

from the concept of minimum start flow. <strong>Water</strong><br />

meters are usually categorized according to 75/33,<br />

as class A for irrigation, and up to class D for<br />

laboratory specifications. The level of accuracy<br />

is the same regardless of class (2% and 5%), with<br />

the only variable being the level of accuracy at low<br />

flows (minimum start and transitional flow). Since<br />

human water consumption always corresponds to<br />

high flows, there should be no value attached to<br />

metrological class; however, this is not so.<br />

But what constitutes an accurate meter?<br />

Typically, a water meter must be suitable for<br />

potable water (materials and coatings), comply to<br />

E.C. standards, be easy to read, have an adequate<br />

life expectancy, incorporate a filter and nonreturn<br />

valve, and be compatible with the existing<br />

infrastructure.<br />

Actually, a water meter must have a realistic<br />

nominal flow (Qn=1,5 m3 /h instead of Qn=2,5<br />

m3 /h or Q3=2,5 m3 /h instead of Q3=4 m3 /h), have<br />

adequately high sensitivity to register low flows<br />

(low minimum start flow), and have a reasonable<br />

cost.


It should be noted that networks usually feature<br />

meters with higher capacity than necessary, in case<br />

of simultaneous multiple high flows, which scarcely<br />

appear. Although financially insignificant, this<br />

negatively influences the meters’ sensitivity.<br />

An issue that arises is whether to opt for volumetric<br />

or tachymetric meters. While volumetric have a<br />

higher sensitivity (3 lt/h vs 10 lt/h), they are also<br />

more vulnerable to water impurities. Overall,<br />

though, volumetric water meters have a competitive<br />

advantage in detecting client-side leakages.<br />

Any attempt to upgrade water meter accuracy is<br />

rewarded with impressive results:<br />

• Revenue water is increased, since older<br />

water meters systematically under-register<br />

all flows regarding human consumption.<br />

• Revenue water may even be doubled, when<br />

including client-side leakage.<br />

• Zero consumption measurement, often<br />

due to malfunction, is minimized.<br />

• Client-side leakages are revealed, charged,<br />

and therefore repaired.<br />

• <strong>Water</strong> requirements decrease, since no<br />

longer catering for leakages.<br />

• Network capacity is indirectly increased<br />

while peak hour head loss decreases.<br />

• Non-revenue water is certainly, easily,<br />

quickly and decreased, at no cost.<br />

However, these upgrading attempts may also entail<br />

the unpleasant consequence of complaints from<br />

consumers who will now be called to pay for the<br />

previously undetected leakage. Since the amount of<br />

lost water is not easily perceived, consumers will<br />

not accept increased bills for the same apparent<br />

water consumption. It is recommended to:<br />

• Detect client-side leakage at the time of the<br />

meter replacement<br />

• At the same time inform the consumers of<br />

any leakages, both orally and in writing<br />

107<br />

• Distribute informative brochures on the<br />

social, financial and environmental impact<br />

of client-side leakages<br />

• Follow up shortly after the replacement,<br />

and again inform consumers if the leakage<br />

remains unrepaired<br />

• Be willing to provide discount for the first<br />

increased bill, as a proof of good will. No<br />

further delay to repair leakages will be<br />

accepted.<br />

When client-side leakages are detected and repaired,<br />

the unit price of revenue water drops, while water<br />

consumption decreases, with a positive impact on<br />

network workload and available water resources.<br />

Revenues are only temporarily increased, if leakages<br />

are promptly repaired. Thus, water production and<br />

distribution expenses will be reduced. Therefore<br />

the benefit is not directly financial; but lies in the<br />

fact that less water is being lost.<br />

Treated sewage water is not as pure as potable, it<br />

is merely marginally clean, in order to be returned<br />

to the environment. Therefore, increased sewage<br />

water due to client-side leakages entails a high cost,<br />

both financially and environmentally. In contrast,<br />

network water pipe physical losses contribute to<br />

the aquifer, with no negative environmental impact.<br />

In fact, it could be as environmental recovery, apart<br />

of course from the energy spent for its production<br />

and distribution.<br />

Non-revenue water caused by water meter<br />

under-measurement only entails financial and<br />

social cost (unjust cost distribution), with no real<br />

environmental cost. Under-measurement does<br />

not increase water consumption, since those that<br />

are overcharged decrease their consumption, and<br />

balance the total amount. However, non-useful<br />

water due to client-side leakages entails all of the<br />

above financial consequences, plus an extra cost<br />

for sewage treatment. Plus an extra environmental


108<br />

cost, for sewage water is neither potable nor a<br />

contributor to the aquifer. Plus an extra investment<br />

cost, in terms of potable water and wastewater<br />

infrastructure (networks and facilities). The<br />

following table clearly illustrates the major<br />

differences in cost between different leakage types:<br />

Cost<br />

Leakage<br />

type<br />

Physical<br />

losses<br />

Underregistered<br />

water<br />

ClientsideleakagesMalfunctioning<br />

meters<br />

Infrastructure<br />

needs<br />

Sewage<br />

Treatment<br />

Environmental<br />

cost<br />

yes no yes yes<br />

no no no yes<br />

yes yes yes yes<br />

no no no yes<br />

Financial<br />

cost<br />

The term of under-registered water mentioned<br />

above is not to be confused with all metering errors<br />

involved in apparent losses. Under-registration<br />

is after all statistically distributed (since all water<br />

meters invariably age). The relevant error leads to an<br />

adjustment of the unit price, which is temporarily<br />

unjust, but in the long run just. Most commonly<br />

used water meters are similar, so that everyone will<br />

be under-measured eventually. On the contrary, not<br />

all consumers have internal (client-side) leakages,<br />

yet everyone is called to pay the price.<br />

CONCLUSIONS<br />

To sum up the history of the mentality of water<br />

management policy makers in a nutshell, we have<br />

come a long way from distinguishing between<br />

utilized water and physical losses, to distinguishing<br />

between revenue and non-revenue water. But we<br />

have to take one more step. The crucial distinction<br />

is that between useful and non-useful water (water<br />

losses as a potential environmental disaster), lost to<br />

client-side leakages. Despite the ignorance of both<br />

expert policy makers and the public, the amount of<br />

water that is termed as non-useful is comparable to<br />

the amount of physical losses in the network.<br />

However, non-useful water is much more than<br />

just a financial loss; it poses a direct threat to<br />

both society and the environment. In a time of<br />

high political tensions (ethnic) conflict over water<br />

resources, climate change and global uncertainty<br />

we cannot afford to lose a single drop of water. That<br />

is, of useful water…


FYR Macedonia: city of Skopje<br />

Experiences Gained and Results Achieved<br />

through active leakage Control and Pressure<br />

Management in Particular DMA’s in the City of<br />

Skopje, FYR Macedonia<br />

Mr Bojan Ristovski, Director of Leak Detection Department, On-Duty Center and Call<br />

Center, P.E. <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage-Skopje<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

Whereas the population of our planet is growing and shifting, the world’s water resources are finite, and the<br />

availability of quality water resources is declining. This makes careful and efficient utilization of existing<br />

water resources essential.<br />

The level of water loss is commonly accepted as a principal indicator of the overall efficiency and<br />

condition of any water supply system. Reducing water loss is becoming one of the main ways to deal<br />

with the increasing imbalance between water consumption and availability. <strong>Water</strong> supply companies in<br />

FYR Macedonia generally report water losses of between 40 and 70%. It is therefore imperative to adopt<br />

and implement a strategy to address and measure the components that will lead to a reduction in this<br />

figure. Four basic methods for the successful management of real losses are generally accepted: pressure<br />

management in the system, improving the speed of leak repair, active leakage control, and infrastructural<br />

improvements. This paper presents case studies addressing two of these methods: active leakage control<br />

and pressure management.<br />

The first promotes the idea of District Metered Areas (DMAs) as an appropriate method to control<br />

water loss, as well as the gradual trend from passive to active methods of loss control, the introduction of<br />

standardized terminology for the components of the consumption balance, and the indicators suggested<br />

by IWA to evaluate real water losses. The project was carried out in the Butel-Radisani-Suto Orizari part<br />

of the water supply system of Skopje, the capital of FYR Macedonia, and addresses active leakage control.<br />

The second focuses on the promotion of active leakage control, and on pressure management to control<br />

losses. In the high pressure zone Aerodrom-Novo Lisice a coordinated approach was adopted, combining<br />

awareness, the identification and reduction of real losses by pressure reduction, and installation of a<br />

monitoring system to permit early leak detection and the systematic reduction of water losses.<br />

109


110<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

<strong>Water</strong> losses in the system are a phenomenon<br />

faced by all water production and supply utilities.<br />

As far as the water supply companies in Republic<br />

of Macedonia are concerned, leakage has been<br />

identified as a serious problem. Many parts of the<br />

country have excessive leakage levels exceeding the<br />

amount of revenue water, with losses of between 40<br />

and 65% of the system input.<br />

Concerning real losses, it is generally accepted that<br />

there are four basic methods for their successful<br />

management: pressure management in the system,<br />

improving the speed of leak repair, active leakage<br />

control, and infrastructural improvements.<br />

This paper presents a case study that addresses<br />

two of these methods: active leakage control and<br />

pressure management.<br />

1. CASE STUDY: PRESSURE MANAGEMENT<br />

(STAGE I) AND ACTIVE LEAKAGE CONTROL<br />

(STAGE II)<br />

The city of Skopje is mainly supplied by gravity from<br />

the Rasce spring, with average input into the system<br />

of 4500 l/s, and from the well areas Nerezi-Lepenec,<br />

with a total capacity of 1420 l/s. For certain higher<br />

areas of the city of Skopje, high pressure zones have<br />

been established. The current case study refers to<br />

the water loss reduction activities in one of the<br />

high pressure zones Aerodrom-Novo Lisice (Figure<br />

1.), which supplies water to the fourth floor and<br />

above of residential buildings in the settlements<br />

Aerodrom and Novo Lisice.<br />

Figure 1. <strong>Water</strong> supply system High Pressure zone Aerodrom-Novo Lisice<br />

1.1 Pressure Management – Stage 1<br />

The first stage of this project concerned water loss<br />

reduction through pressure management. In order<br />

to determine possibilities for pressure reduction,<br />

several pressure measurements were performed<br />

(data are shown in Table 1), and monitoring of the<br />

system inflow (Graph 1.).<br />

Measuring point<br />

No.2 Bojmija Street (11th<br />

floor)<br />

No.4 Pandil Siskov Street<br />

(6th floor)<br />

No.7 Blvd. Jane Sandanski<br />

(7th floor)<br />

No.47 Blvd. Jane Sandanski<br />

(17th floor)<br />

No.60 Blvd. ASNOM (6th<br />

floor)<br />

No. 77 Blvd Vidoe Smilevski-Bato<br />

(8th floor)<br />

Maximum Pressure<br />

(bar)<br />

Minimum Pressure<br />

(bar)<br />

5.04 4.33 4.66<br />

7.04 6.62 6.85<br />

6.13 5.69 5.81<br />

3.82 3.34 3.65<br />

7.24 6.87 7.08<br />

6.75 6.41 6.62<br />

Table 1. Pressure data before installation of pressure reduction valve<br />

Average Pressure (bar)


Q (l/s)<br />

90<br />

80<br />

70<br />

60<br />

50<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

0<br />

Daily Flow Diagram - System input (l/s)<br />

00:00:02<br />

06:00:02<br />

12:00:02<br />

18:00:02<br />

00:00:02<br />

06:00:02<br />

12:00:02<br />

18:00:02<br />

00:00:02<br />

06:00:02<br />

12:00:02<br />

18:00:02<br />

00:00:02<br />

06:00:02<br />

12:00:02<br />

18:00:02<br />

00:00:02<br />

06:00:02<br />

12:00:02<br />

18:00:02<br />

00:00:02<br />

06:00:02<br />

12:00:02<br />

18:00:02<br />

00:00:02<br />

06:00:02<br />

12:00:02<br />

12.03.2008 13.03.2008 14.03.2008 15.03.2008 16.03.2008 17.03.2008 18.03.2008<br />

Graph 1. Daily inflow in the High Pressure zone Aerodrom-Novo Lisice,<br />

for the period 12.03.2008 - 18.03.2008<br />

Based on the statistical data shown and the<br />

analysis carried out on site, it was concluded that<br />

the existing pressure was higher than required,<br />

and that a reduction by approximately 2 bar was<br />

permissible, allowing the installation of PRV Ф 250<br />

mm with constant outlet pressure on Ø 400 mm<br />

ductile-iron pipe.<br />

1.2 Comparison of the condition before and after<br />

installation of Pressure Reduction Valve<br />

In order to show the effect of pressure reduction, the<br />

pressure in two particular locations within the area<br />

examined were permanently monitored, as was the<br />

system inflow (see Graph 2, Table 2, and Graph 3).<br />

Graph 2. Pressure before and after installation of pressure reduction<br />

valve<br />

Measuring<br />

point<br />

Pressure before<br />

installation of Pressure<br />

Reduction<br />

Valve<br />

Max<br />

(bar)<br />

Min<br />

(bar)<br />

Average<br />

(bar)<br />

111<br />

Pressure after<br />

installation of<br />

Pressure Reduction<br />

Valve<br />

Max<br />

(bar)<br />

Min<br />

(bar)<br />

Average<br />

(bar)<br />

No.12 Blvd<br />

AVNOJ<br />

8.96 8.48 8.76 7.18 6.57 6.76<br />

No.102 Blvd<br />

AVNOJ<br />

9.22 8.77 9.04 7.43 6.87 7.03<br />

Pressure Reduction (%) 22.83<br />

Pressure Reduction (bar) 2<br />

Table 2. Statistical data of pressure monitored at the measuring points<br />

before and after installation of pressure reduction valve<br />

Graph 3. Daily inflow in the period 29.3.2008 – 2.4.2008 and also from<br />

4.4.2008 – 7.4.2008, after the installation of PRV (on 3.4.2008)


112<br />

1.3 Benefits achieved with the implemented pres-<br />

sure reduction methodology<br />

The archived results after the PRV installation,<br />

which is related to water savings during minimum<br />

night flow as well as water savings for a 24-hour<br />

period, are shown below in Table 3.<br />

Before installation<br />

of PRV<br />

After installation<br />

of PRV<br />

Min night flow (l/s)<br />

Min night flow (m3/h)<br />

<strong>Water</strong> savings - Min Night Flow<br />

(m3/h)<br />

<strong>Water</strong> savings - Min Night Flow (%)<br />

Daily inflow (m3/day)<br />

44.65 160.8 4899.3<br />

<strong>Water</strong> savings for a 24-hour period<br />

(m3/h)<br />

36.62 127.0 33.74 21 4029.4 820 17<br />

Table 3. <strong>Water</strong> savings during minimum night consumption, for a 24hour<br />

period in DMA Aerodrom- High Pressure zone, expressed in m3 and in %.<br />

2. ACTIVE LEAKAGE CONTROL - STAGE 2<br />

The second phase of this project addressed active<br />

leakage control, which requires the establishment<br />

of District Metered Areas as an adequate leakage<br />

control method. These activities were based on<br />

field flow measurements, methodology for leakage<br />

assessment, and systematic inspection of the water<br />

supply network.<br />

The examined DMA High Pressure Zone<br />

Aerodrom-Novo Lisice was divided into three<br />

sub-DMAs, which are separated by clearly defined<br />

boundaries as shown in Figure 9.<br />

Because of the characteristics of the water supply<br />

network, the established sub-DMAs are actually<br />

<strong>Water</strong> savings for 24-hour period (%)<br />

temporal and the flow at the appropriate inlets and<br />

outlets was monitored using portable ultrasound<br />

flow meters. It was necessary to close only one of<br />

the boundary valves, as shown in Figure 2.<br />

Figure 2. Overview of the three sub-DMAs, which are separated by<br />

clearly defined boundaries<br />

2.1 Methodology for leakage redaction applied in<br />

the study<br />

The water loss methodology used in this project<br />

is shown on Figure 3. <strong>Water</strong> loss in the DMA<br />

and relevant sub-DMAs within the project was<br />

calculated with night flow analysis (method of<br />

minimum night flow). The measurement data are<br />

shown in Table 4.


Figure 3. <strong>Water</strong> Loss Methodology<br />

Sub-DMA<br />

DMA DESIGN<br />

REPAIR,<br />

ANALYZE<br />

DETECTION<br />

ACTIVITIES<br />

EFFECTIVENESS<br />

Min (l/s)<br />

Max (l/s)<br />

Average (l/s)<br />

Qmin/h /Q av/h<br />

Daily consumption (m3/<br />

day)<br />

Minimum night consumption<br />

(m3/h)<br />

Sub-DMA<br />

401<br />

2.73 13.11 7.76 0.35 670.15 12.85<br />

Sub-DMA<br />

402<br />

9.24 22.28 16.22 0.57 2072.78 72.06<br />

Sub-DMA<br />

403<br />

16.11 33.65 23.99 0.67 1401.61 32.54<br />

DMA 400 32.62 69.97 47.97 0.48 4144.53 117.45<br />

Table 4. Calculated leakage according to the<br />

method of minimum night flow for a 24-hour<br />

period (14.5.2008)<br />

2.2. Systematic activity for the reduction of Real<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Loss<br />

LEAK<br />

LOCATION<br />

ON SITE MEASUREMENT OF<br />

PRESSURE AND FLOW<br />

ACOUSTIC<br />

SOUNDING<br />

SURVEY<br />

ANALYZE THE DATA<br />

AZNP AND MNF<br />

VISUAL INSPECTION OF<br />

WATER, SEWERAGE SYSTEM,<br />

ON SITE SURVEY<br />

FOR ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS<br />

The systematic reduction activity used in this<br />

project included visual inspection of the water and<br />

sewerage network, acoustic methods with contact<br />

microphones and noise loggers, and pinpointing<br />

with ground microphones and digital correlators.<br />

The systematic examination of the water supply<br />

network performed by the Leakage Detection<br />

Department on practically all the sub-DMAs<br />

recorded a significant number of various types of<br />

leaks contributing to the high night consumption.<br />

Taking into consideration the existence of high<br />

113<br />

and low zones in the examined area which, by<br />

rule, have to be separated, it was found that these<br />

were connected in two places, resulting in water<br />

overflow from the upper into the lower zone as well<br />

as in increased water loss in the area examined.<br />

These links were disconnected immediately upon<br />

their detection.<br />

Upon elimination of all visible and detected leaks,<br />

additional measurement of flow in the entire DMA<br />

was conducted.<br />

2.3 Final results achieved with implementation of<br />

PRM and ALC<br />

With the implementation of the two stages in this<br />

project (installation of a PRV (first stage) as well<br />

as monitoring, analysis, location and repair of the<br />

leaks (second stage), significant water savings were<br />

achieved. The final results are shown in Graphs 4<br />

and 5 and in Table 5.<br />

Graph 4. Overview of daily consumption diagram at the inflow after<br />

repair of some of the previously located leaks


114<br />

Graph 5. Overview of daily consumption pattern at the inflow after<br />

implementation of ALC.<br />

<strong>Water</strong> input in the system:<br />

Before project implementation<br />

After completion of Stage<br />

I- Pressure Reduction<br />

After completion of Phase<br />

II- Active Leakage Control<br />

Daily consumption<br />

(m3)<br />

Minimum night flow<br />

(m3/h)<br />

4899.29 160.75<br />

4029.44 127.01<br />

3888.23 110.22<br />

Table 5. Overview of daily consumption and minimum night flow,<br />

related to the different stages implemented in this project<br />

CONCLUSION<br />

• With the installation of the Pressure<br />

Reduction Valve (first phase), the registered<br />

minimum night flow was reduced by 33.73<br />

m3/h or 21% of inflow, i.e. a saving of 840<br />

m3/day or 17%.<br />

• The implementation of active leakage<br />

control (second phase) resulted in an<br />

additional minimum night flow reduction<br />

of 16.80 m3/h or 13%, i.e. a saving of 141.21<br />

m3/day or 4%, related to the first phase.<br />

• After the implementation of both phases,<br />

water losses were reduced by 50.53 m3/h or<br />

31%, which means a saving of 1011 m3/day<br />

or 26%.<br />

• <strong>Water</strong> savings of more than 1000 m3/day<br />

result in a decreased number of pumping<br />

hours; decreased electricity consumption<br />

for the pump, as well as economic savings.<br />

• References<br />

• Malcolm, F. Stuart, T. Losses in <strong>Water</strong><br />

Distribution Networks<br />

• Conference Proceedings,(2008) Ohrid,<br />

•<br />

Macedonia, 2nd International Conference”<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Loss Management, Telemetry and<br />

SCADA in <strong>Water</strong> Distribution Systems”<br />

Conference Proceedings,(2007) Bucharest,<br />

Romania, IWA Specialized conference<br />

”<strong>Water</strong> Loss 2007”<br />

• David B. Leakage Detection and<br />

•<br />

Management<br />

Organization of the metering system and<br />

management in modern water supply<br />

systems- Ph.D. Dusan Obradovic


Malta<br />

Managing Leakage in Malta:<br />

The WSC Approach towards quantifying and<br />

Controlling <strong>Water</strong> Losses<br />

Mr Nigel Ellu, Regional Manager, <strong>Water</strong> Services Corporation<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

The Malta <strong>Water</strong> Services Corporation (WSC) has come a long way since launching its national leakage<br />

control policy in 1995. Real losses have been reduced from an ILI (Infrastructure Leakage Index) of over<br />

10 prior to 1995 to an ILI of just above 2 in 2009. Leakage values in Gozo (Malta’s sister island) have been<br />

put down even further, and this island now has an ILI of below 1.5. The WSC sees its achievements in real<br />

water loss control as a result of synergies between two important areas. The first is its five-force leakage<br />

control methodology. This looks at the management, resource and skill requirements needed to reduce real<br />

losses to a value as close to an ILI of 1 as is economically viable. Each force targets a particular dimension<br />

impacting upon leakage, and all five forces must be sufficiently robust for the methodology to succeed.<br />

The second is the way leakage has been managed. Initially, the <strong>Water</strong> Audit section was set up to tackle leakage<br />

control. This section has now devolved into four regions, covering Malta and Gozo, where all operations<br />

related to the distribution of potable water are handled. This further change integrated all the five forces<br />

into one unit – a region. This new set-up eliminated conflicts between different sections and major gains<br />

resulted in leakage control. The regional set-up gave the required momentum to sustain and improve the<br />

results achieved. At the start of 2009, water and waste water operations were amalgamated to improve the<br />

management of the collection of waste water, resulting in the management of the complete water cycle.<br />

The tool used to quantify and control water losses is the water balance, which compares inputs and outputs<br />

of flow to identify leaks. The tool uses zone meter flow rates and pressure to calculate the ILI, resulting in<br />

the leakage per zone, and the reduction of flow per zone needed to achieve the target ILI. The regional ILI<br />

is also calculated and plotted weekly to measure regional performance. The result in real water loss control<br />

has been a continual reduction in ILI. This tool is presently being adapted to incorporate waste water. The<br />

water inputted into different zones is balanced with the waste water output from all these zones. Waste<br />

water flow is measured at different points in the network, usually pumping stations. The water balance is<br />

therefore a tool to quantify and control the complete water cycle.<br />

115


116<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

<strong>Water</strong> in Malta is a scarce and expensive resource.<br />

With this scenario, the <strong>Water</strong> Services Corporation,<br />

which is the national water operator on the Maltese<br />

Islands, has been tackling the problem of leakage<br />

since the middle of the twentieth century. However,<br />

it only started to actively and consciously manage<br />

leakage in an effective manner since the midnineties,<br />

when a highly specialised section was set<br />

up for this purpose.<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Production Sources<br />

Potable water for the Maltese Islands comes from<br />

two different sources. These are sea water reverse<br />

osmosis plants (RO) and groundwater sources.<br />

From the total production figures taken from<br />

the 2008 Yearly Report, the total potable water<br />

production for the Maltese Islands last year reached<br />

30,809,614m3 , of which 16,871,911m3 was RO<br />

water and 13,937,703m3 water abstracted from the<br />

ground. Taken as a percentage, these figures equate<br />

into 54.8% and 45.2% respectively.<br />

THE MANAGEMENT OF WATER LOSSES<br />

As one would expect, with over 50% of its water<br />

coming from reverse osmosis plants, water in<br />

Malta is expensive. It was also scarce, at least up<br />

to the early 1990s, when there were widespread<br />

shortages and water cuts were the order of the day.<br />

Since water production at the time was not meeting<br />

demand, the <strong>Water</strong> Services Corporation opted to<br />

boost production from its RO plants until finally<br />

the scarcity problem was overcome.<br />

However, once this problem was solved, another<br />

was soon apparent, as computations indicated that<br />

around two-thirds of the water produced was not<br />

being billed. It was obvious that there was a huge<br />

leakage problem.<br />

Following initial leakage quantification based<br />

on sector night flows, the leakage amount was<br />

quantified. Using the bottom-up approach, leakage<br />

was calculated to be a staggering 3,900m3 /hr (ILI of<br />

10) in 1995. During 2008, leakage stood at a value<br />

of just over 600m3 /hr (ILI of 2.75).<br />

The WSC sees this achievement in real water<br />

loss control as a result of synergies between two<br />

important contexts. The first is its five-force leakage<br />

control methodology. The second is the way leakage<br />

has been managed.<br />

The Five-Force Leak Control Methodology<br />

This reduction in leakage was brought about by<br />

the implementation of a strategy based upon<br />

a methodology which was adapted from the<br />

IWA-approved model to manage leakage. The<br />

methodology is known as the “Five-Force Leak<br />

Control Methodology” and is shown in Figure 1.<br />

Figure 1: The Five-Force Leak Control Methodology<br />

The model basically represents five components<br />

acting together to decrease the value of leakage as<br />

close as possible to that of the unavoidable leakage


amount (ILI of 1). Although this is extremely<br />

difficult to achieve, most countries worldwide<br />

strive to get as close as possible to this figure, with<br />

varying degrees of success.<br />

The components that contribute to the control of<br />

leakage in the model are the following:<br />

• Network rationalisation<br />

• Pressure Management<br />

• Active Leakage Localisation<br />

• Dynamic Leakage Repair<br />

• Replacement of Critically Weak Pipework<br />

The time element governing the five-force leakage<br />

control methodology<br />

It has been clearly established that the successful<br />

long-term strategy for effective leakage reduction<br />

must include the time factor on each component of<br />

the leakage control methodology. It can be argued<br />

that leakage control will be successful only if the<br />

location and repair of leakages is carried out at a<br />

rate higher than the occurrence of new leakages.<br />

Daily operations in complex multi-dimensional<br />

scenarios often end up as a balancing act between<br />

the available resources (in this case manpower)<br />

and the tasks required. Studies carried out show<br />

that the constantly-dwindling workforce is a major<br />

hindrance to achieving better results. This is a key<br />

factor in the implementation of the final stage of<br />

possibly all the tactics that lead to a successful<br />

reduction in leakage. The conclusion drawn is that<br />

there is a direct relationship between availability<br />

of repair teams and the variation of leakage. The<br />

workforce problem is now being tackled with the<br />

procurement of a number of contracts for service.<br />

Leakage Management<br />

The Malta <strong>Water</strong> Services Corporation (WSC) has<br />

come a long way from its launching of a national<br />

leakage control policy in 1995. Leakage has been<br />

117<br />

managed throughout these years in three main<br />

steps:<br />

• Extensive Leakage Detection<br />

• The <strong>Water</strong> Audit Section<br />

• The Regions (Central, North, South and<br />

Gozo)<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Audit Section<br />

In 1995, the initial step taken by the <strong>Water</strong> Audit<br />

Section was directed at quantifying leakage.<br />

Following initial leakage quantification based<br />

on sector night flows, the leakage amount was<br />

quantified at a 3,900m3 /hr (ILI of 10).<br />

The response of the Corporation to this high<br />

leakage was to set up a highly specialised team to<br />

manage its water losses. The <strong>Water</strong> Audit Section<br />

was assigned the task of studying how to curb the<br />

ever-growing national demand for water. Up until<br />

that time, the Corporation had no proper strategy<br />

on leakage control. The methodology in place was<br />

an extensive leakage detection exercise to cover<br />

the whole water distribution network three or four<br />

times a year. However, this ‘blind detection’ was<br />

absolutely not effective, since the tests were not<br />

concentrated on the weak and problematic spots of<br />

the network.<br />

The section’s manager had spent a number of years<br />

researching leakage management. The section<br />

was built on a motivated team, consisting of<br />

leakage engineers, technicians and detectors who<br />

could implement the strategy that was crafted to<br />

manage leakage in the Maltese Islands. The water<br />

distribution network was divided into three and led<br />

by a leakage engineer. Each engineer directed self<br />

motivate teams responsible for a number of zones<br />

(DMAs).<br />

The implementation of this effective methodology<br />

started reaping immediate dividends. System<br />

demand was gradually reduced by reducing leakage.


118<br />

The decrease in system demand corresponded to<br />

a similarly sharp decrease in the ILI. Thus from<br />

the mid-nineties to the early years of the new<br />

millennium, the ILI was brought down from a<br />

staggering figure of 10 to the far more respectable<br />

figure of around 3.7.<br />

The Change from the <strong>Water</strong> Audit Section to the<br />

Regions<br />

However, the momentum of continuous gains<br />

could not be sustained. The early years of the new<br />

millennium provided a different challenge. In fact,<br />

as leakage was further reduced, gains became<br />

increasingly more difficult to achieve. Even worse,<br />

the leakage values started to slowly creep up again<br />

between 2001 and 2003.<br />

The response of the <strong>Water</strong> Services Corporation<br />

was a complete change in concept, whereby the<br />

lines of responsibility of all the staff became far more<br />

clearly defined. The strategy of the Corporation<br />

was to have one unit, a region responsible for all<br />

the day-to-day operations. The driving principle<br />

here was that this region, since it was assigned<br />

the task to manage leakage, had to have complete<br />

control over all the five components of the Five-<br />

Force Model. Thus, the <strong>Water</strong> Audit Section was<br />

now part of a far more empowered organisation,<br />

designed and resourced to take the management of<br />

leakage to another level. This strategy was based on<br />

flexibility and multi-skilling, ingredients which are<br />

so essential in this day and age for any organisation<br />

to be successful.<br />

This had an immediate effect on most of the region’s<br />

objectives, with the results obtained for leakage<br />

control amongst the most dramatic. Figure 2<br />

shows how the change brought the <strong>Water</strong> Services<br />

Corporation back on track in its continuous<br />

efforts to better manage leakage. The peaks and<br />

troughs highlight the seasonal effects on the water<br />

network. Nevertheless, superimposed on these are<br />

the tactical moves that continually take place to<br />

ensure the attainment of set goals. Although the<br />

diminishing gradient follows the expected trend<br />

as the <strong>Water</strong> Services Corporation approaches the<br />

unavoidable leakage levels, the plot shows an alltime<br />

low, snapshot ILI level of 2.4 as compared to<br />

6.5 five years ago. Correspondingly, instantaneous<br />

leakage has been reduced from a high of 1160m3 /hr<br />

in January 2004 to 450m3 /hr at the end of December<br />

2008.<br />

Figure 2: Infrastructure Leakage Index from the launching of the three<br />

Regions in Malta<br />

At the start of this year, the water and waste<br />

water operations were amalgamated to improve<br />

the management of the collection of waste water<br />

following the initial distribution of potable water.<br />

Each region was assigned both water and waste<br />

water operational responsibilities. Results are<br />

already showing positive trends in the targets set<br />

out. Customer satisfaction has improved following<br />

this amalgamation and budgeted figures are on<br />

track. This has resulted in the management of the<br />

complete water cycle.


Zone/Cluster Name<br />

MelliehaReservoir<br />

Ta’<br />

PenelluMellieha<br />

old<br />

Pellegrin<br />

MNF (min) m³/hr<br />

No of Accounts<br />

Length of MAINS km<br />

Night Cons l/conn/hr<br />

Leak Qty (min) m³/hr<br />

No of conn<br />

ILI @ pre-sent<br />

Tar-get MNF for ILI=2 m 3 /hr<br />

5.00 1249 12.10 2.00 2.29 901 1.68 5.5 0.0<br />

29.20 4021 36.28 2.00 19.39 2489 5.03 16.5 12.7<br />

6.10 819 7.74 2.00 4.09 620 4.41 3.7 2.4<br />

Tunninet<br />

1.80 1412 3.08 2.00 0.00 397 0.00 4.0 0.0<br />

Mellieha<br />

new<br />

17.50 2303 26.62 2.00 11.82 1355 5.18 9.6 7.9<br />

Etna 2.80 645 3.59 2.00 1.38 390 2.52 2.5 0.3<br />

Santa<br />

Marija<br />

Est<br />

1.00 449 7.14 2.00 0.09 441 0.13 2.4 0.0<br />

Qortin 6.00 571 6.97 2.00 4.45 526 5.59 2.9 3.1<br />

Selmun<br />

1.20 54 2.16 2.00 1.00 41 9.58 0.3 0.9<br />

Mistra/Xemxija<br />

4.80 1120 6.79 2.00 2.35 297 4.47 3.4 1.4<br />

CLUS-<br />

TER<br />

SUB-<br />

TO-<br />

TALS<br />

34.20 5270 48.38 21.69 3390 4.15 21.9 12.7<br />

Figure 3: A Cluster from the North Region <strong>Water</strong> Balance<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Balance<br />

The tool used to quantify and control water losses<br />

is the water balance. This compares inputs and<br />

outputs of flow for leakage investigation. The<br />

number of accounts and connections and the<br />

length of water mains per zone are inputted into<br />

Mnf to re-duce m³/hr<br />

119<br />

the water balance. This tool is built up using zone<br />

meter flow rates and pressure, together with the<br />

above data, to calculate the ILI. This gives the<br />

leakage per zone, and the amount of flow per zone<br />

needed to reduce, to achieve the target ILI. This is<br />

shown in Figure 3.<br />

The region ILI is also calculated and plotted weekly<br />

to measure regional performance. The continual<br />

reduction in ILI is the achievement in real water<br />

loss control. The north region ILI trend is shown<br />

in Figure 4.<br />

8.4<br />

8.2<br />

8.0<br />

7.8<br />

7.6<br />

7.4<br />

7.2<br />

7.0<br />

6.8<br />

6.6<br />

6.4<br />

6.2<br />

6.0<br />

5.8<br />

5.6<br />

5.4<br />

5.2<br />

5.0<br />

4.8<br />

4.6<br />

4.4<br />

4.2<br />

4.0<br />

3.8<br />

3.6<br />

3.4<br />

3.2<br />

3.0<br />

2.8<br />

2.6<br />

2.4<br />

2.2<br />

2.0<br />

15<br />

1<br />

29<br />

43<br />

57<br />

71<br />

85<br />

Figure 4: North Region ILI Trend<br />

ILI TREND - NORTH REGION<br />

99<br />

113<br />

127<br />

141<br />

In the case of Malta, the whole island has been<br />

divided into 300 zones, each having its own<br />

respective ILI that is calculated on a weekly basis.<br />

The actual minimum night flow (MNF) together<br />

with the desired MNF required to achieve the<br />

targeted ILI is compared. This is used as a tactical<br />

tool to easily identify priority areas needing<br />

attention. It also helps to focus on the zones with<br />

the highest gains in terms of leakage. This way,<br />

the common misconception that zones that carry<br />

the highest MNF values should be tackled first is<br />

solved. An example is shown in Figure 5.<br />

155<br />

169<br />

183<br />

197<br />

211<br />

w eeks elapsed as at 1st. Jan. 2004<br />

225<br />

239<br />

253<br />

267<br />

281<br />

295<br />

309


120<br />

Zone/Cluster ILI @<br />

present<br />

Target Mnf to reduce<br />

MNF(min)<br />

for ILI=2<br />

m³/hr m³/hr<br />

Maghtab 8.88 1.1 2.9<br />

Wied il-ghasel/<br />

Burmarrad<br />

7.42 0.3 0.7<br />

Salina 3.80 1.0 0.5<br />

Qawra1(low) 3.74 4.7 1.4<br />

Qawra2 (High) 6.28 8.6 3.9<br />

Bugibba(high) 2.72 8.7 0.9<br />

Bugibba<br />

new(low)<br />

4.11 11.8 4.2<br />

Ghajn Tuffieha 0.00 1.4 0.0<br />

Ghajn Tuffieha +<br />

Halferh<br />

2.17 0.1 0.0<br />

Manikata. 8.44 1.1 2.4<br />

Figure 5: Zones in need of attention<br />

This tool is presently being adapted to incorporate<br />

waste water. The water inputted into different<br />

zones is balanced with the waste water output<br />

from all these zones. Waste water flow is measured<br />

at different points in the network, usually pumping<br />

stations. This way, the water balance is the tool to<br />

quantify and control the complete water cycle.<br />

CONCLUSION<br />

The <strong>Water</strong> Services Corporation has shown a<br />

promising evolution towards the management of<br />

water losses since the mid 1990s. Its targets over<br />

the coming months are aimed at sustaining and<br />

improving on these achievements.<br />

With regards to achievements in real losses, the<br />

target is to reach an Infrastructure Leakage Index<br />

of 1.5. This is a very ambitious target which has<br />

already been achieved on the sister island of Gozo<br />

for a number of years now. The aim is to attain the<br />

same level in Malta, which has a far more complex<br />

distribution network.<br />

With regards to leakage management, the target is<br />

to continue the amalgamation process of the water<br />

and waste water units into the region. Each region<br />

will be able to manage and control losses in both<br />

water and waste water networks. This way we will<br />

be able to manage the complete water cycle.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

• GALEA ST JOHN S., 2006. Leakage<br />

Management in Malta: Methods Used and<br />

Achievements to Date. Global Leakage<br />

Technology Summit. London, England.<br />

• GALEA ST JOHN S., 2002. Motivation<br />

and Performance in the <strong>Water</strong> Services<br />

Corporation. Thesis. MBA: University of<br />

Malta.<br />

• MALTA WATER SERVICES<br />

CORPORATION, 2006. Annual Report<br />

2005/2006. Malta<br />

• MALTA WATER SERVICES<br />

CORPORATION, 2007. Annual Report<br />

2006/2007. Malta<br />

• MALTA WATER SERVICES<br />

CORPORATION, 2008. Annual Report<br />

2006/2007. Malta<br />

• MARGETA, J., IACOVIDES, I.,<br />

AZZOPARDI, E., 1997. Integrated<br />

•<br />

Approach to Development, Management<br />

and Use of <strong>Water</strong> Resources. Split: Priority<br />

Actions Programme.<br />

RIZZO, A., 2001. A Strategic Management<br />

Plan at the <strong>Water</strong> Services Corporation. The<br />

Case for a National <strong>Water</strong> Leakage Control<br />

Programme. Thesis. MBA: University of<br />

Malta.<br />

• RIOLO, S. 2007. Snapshot ILI – a KPI-based<br />

tool to complement goal achievement.<br />

• GALEA ST JOHN, S 2008. <strong>Water</strong> Loss<br />

Control in Malta


Romania: city of Timisoara<br />

CASE STUDY REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION<br />

OF THE WATER LOSS REDUCTION STRATEGY IN<br />

TIMISOARA, ROMANIA<br />

Mr Mihai Grozavescu, Assistant Director, Katalin Bodor, Head of <strong>Water</strong> Department<br />

Timișoara, Ilie Vlaicu, General Director, Alin Anchidin Head of <strong>Water</strong> Loss Detection<br />

Compartment, S.C. AQUATIM S.A.<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

The water supply in Timisoara City is ensured through a ring network with a total length of 618 km,<br />

consisting of main pipes and secondary distribution pipes. The pipes are: 49% grey cast iron, asbestos<br />

cement or pre-stressed concrete, between 50 and 90 years old; 26% steel, between 20 and 40 years old; and<br />

the remainder PVC, polyethylene, glass-fiber reinforced polyesters or ductile cast iron less than 20 years<br />

old. There are 22,25 connections with a total length of 182km, of which 48% are polyethylene and PVC, and<br />

52% lead, zinc steel and grey cast iron. 100% of the connections are metered and the pressure in the system<br />

is between 2.0-2.3 atmospheres.<br />

The infrastructure leakage indicator (ILI) for the supply network of Timisoara City is 55, with a real annual<br />

loss of 46,391m3/day. This led to the elaboration of a strategy to reduce losses in the first stage to less<br />

than 25%. This paper presents the water losses reduction strategy and the first results obtained after its<br />

implementation.<br />

The established strategy tackles the four activities (pressure management, proactive loss management,<br />

assets management, repair speed and quality) that directly influence the inevitable losses dynamic.<br />

The short-term water loss reduction strategy foresees proactive water loss detection in connections,<br />

reinforcements and main pipes. The detected damage is registered in the repairs programme. The medium<br />

and long term water loss reduction strategy foresees the division of the system into metered sectors in<br />

order to concentrate detection activity on the part of the supply network with the highest losses, to identify<br />

the necessary investment and prioritize them.<br />

The water loss reduction strategy was implemented in 2008, leading to a 2% reduction of losses in the first<br />

year.<br />

121


122<br />

GENERAL VIEW<br />

The water distribution system in Timisoara City is<br />

provided through a ring network with a total length<br />

of 618 km, formed of main and secondary pipes.<br />

The pipes are made of 49% grey cast iron, asbestos<br />

cement pre-stressed concrete (50-90 years old),<br />

26% steel (20-40 years old) and PVC, polyethylene,<br />

and glass fibre reinforced polyesters, ductile cast<br />

iron (not older than 20 years).<br />

There are 22,625 connections with a total length of<br />

182 km, out of which 48% are of PEHD and PVC,<br />

52% of lead, zinc steel and grey cast iron, and 100%<br />

of the connections are metered with the pressure<br />

in the system between 2.0-2.3 atmospheres. Of the<br />

total number of connections, 90.2% are destined for<br />

public use (the number of residents in Timisoara<br />

City is about 330,000), 7.4% are connections for<br />

business agents, and 2.4% are connections for<br />

public institutions.<br />

Following the analysis of the <strong>Water</strong> Balance, it has<br />

become apparent that for the water supply system<br />

of Timisoara, the current annual real loss (CARL)<br />

is 75,348 litres/km of pipe/day, the unavoidable<br />

annual real loss (UARL) is equal to 845 m3/<br />

day, having in view that connection density is 39<br />

connections/km of pipe and the average pressure in<br />

the system is between 2.0-2.3 atmospheres.<br />

The infrastructure leakage indicator (ILI) for<br />

the supply network of Timisoara City is 55, far<br />

surpassing 12, a value that indicates an acceptable<br />

technical management of water losses.<br />

This led to the elaboration of a strategy in order to<br />

reduce the water losses to less than 25% in the first<br />

stage.<br />

WATER LOSS REDUCTION STRATEGY<br />

The established strategy tackles the activities –<br />

pressure management, proactive loss management,<br />

assets management, repair speed and quality – that<br />

have a direct influence on the unavoidable loss<br />

dynamics.<br />

The short-term water loss reduction strategy<br />

foresees the proactive water loss detection on<br />

connections; reinforcements and main pipes<br />

according to Fig.1. The detected damages are<br />

registered in the repairs programme.<br />

Loss-Detection<br />

on connections and fittings<br />

Program<br />

40 assets /day<br />

Realisation of Loss-Detection<br />

Fiche of Loss-Detection (FLD)<br />

FLD analysis<br />

Emission<br />

Major damage note/medium/minor<br />

Loss-Detection<br />

on main pipes<br />

Program<br />

1.000 m/day<br />

Fig.1. The water loss reduction strategy in the short term.<br />

In the implementation of the short term strategy,<br />

starting from January 2008 until now, 27% of the<br />

total number of connections have been inspected<br />

and 23% of the total pipe length; we have also<br />

inspected over 2,350 fittings (valves, compensators),<br />

990 water hydrants and 34 public fountains.<br />

Following the inspections we have found 456<br />

damages, of which 38% were major damages.<br />

The water loss reduction strategy in the medium<br />

and long term, as seen in Fig.2, foresees the division<br />

of the water supply system in metered sectors with<br />

the purpose of directing the detection activity in<br />

that part of the supply network that presents the


highest losses, to identify the necessary investment<br />

and to prioritize the investments.<br />

SECTOR IDENTIFICATION<br />

METERING<br />

AUDIT<br />

The introduction of the ATTRIBUTES<br />

in the DATA BASE<br />

MONITORISATION<br />

WATER BALANCE analysis<br />

Fig.2. The water loss reduction strategy in the medium and long terms.<br />

The water supply system was divided into 23 DMAs,<br />

of which two have been implemented – “Neptune”<br />

DMAs and “Plopi” DMAs.<br />

CASE STUDY “NEPTUN” DMAS<br />

“Neptun” DMAs are composed of 12 streets with<br />

4-story blocks of flats and houses. The water supply<br />

of the DMA’s is ensured through a distribution<br />

network with a total length of 3,645 km, formed<br />

of pipes with diameters ranging from 80-300mm,<br />

88.2% of which are made of steel which is older than<br />

20 years, and the rest (11.8%) is from high density<br />

polyethylene with an age between 11-20 years .<br />

The total length of connections is 863 m, made<br />

of 50% lead, steel and grey cast iron, the rest is<br />

PEHD. The connections are 100% metered and<br />

the pressure in the system is contained between<br />

2.0-2.3 atmospheres. From the total number of<br />

connections, 80.4% is reserved for the public<br />

and 19.6% are connections destined to economic<br />

agents. Also the water supply system is equipped<br />

with 28 valves and 17 hydrants.<br />

“Neptun” DMAs are powered from a single point,<br />

the volume is measured with a water meter, type<br />

YES<br />

LOSS<br />

< 25%<br />

YES NO<br />

OK<br />

VERIFICATION<br />

ELIMINATION OF<br />

THE LOSS<br />

DETECTION<br />

LOCALISATION OF<br />

LOSSES<br />

NO<br />

Wortex 200 mm, class B, mounted horizontally.<br />

123<br />

Fig.3 shows the values obtained following<br />

monitoring, from implementation until present,<br />

of the principal performance indicators of the<br />

distribution network: the unavoidable annual real<br />

loss (UARL), the current annual real loss (CARL),<br />

and the infrastructure leakage indicator (ILI).<br />

Fig.3. The evolution of performance indicators in “Neptun” DMAs<br />

In 2008 in “Neptun” DMAs we detected 6 damages<br />

(2 valve defects, 3 connection defects and one pipe<br />

damage); the duration of the repairs was between<br />

1-5 days. The biggest loss of 48% was registered in<br />

August as a result of the 3 connection damages and<br />

of a major damage on the distribution pipe. The<br />

water loss in 2008 was 23%.<br />

In 2009, we had two damages (a defect on the pipe<br />

and a defect on a connection). The maximum loss<br />

in 2009 was 35% for the month of February, because<br />

of damage on the distribution pipe. Also in this<br />

month we observe a growth of the UARL indicator;<br />

this can be explained by the fact that the duration<br />

of the repair of the damage on the pipe was 16 days.<br />

According to the monthly monitoring of “Neptun”<br />

DMAs in 2009 (January –August) the loss dropped<br />

by 2% compared to 2008.


124<br />

CASE STUDY “PLOPI” DMAS<br />

“Plopi” DMAs are comprised of 27 streets with<br />

houses.<br />

The water supply of the DMAs is made through<br />

a distribution pipe with a length totalling 8,097<br />

km, formed of pipes with diameters between 100-<br />

200mm. 24.43% of the network distribution pipes<br />

are made from grey cast iron with an age greater<br />

than 20 years, 24.05% is made from PVC pipes<br />

and asbestos-cement with an age between 11-20<br />

years and the rest (51.52%) are pipes made of high<br />

density polyethylene, PEHD, with an age of less<br />

than 10 years.<br />

The total length of connections is 2073 m, made<br />

from 28% lead and steel; the rest of the 72% is<br />

from PEHD. The connections are 100% metered<br />

and the pressure in the system is between 2.0-<br />

2.3 atmospheres. Out of the total number of<br />

connections, 94.5% are destined for the population,<br />

and 4.5% are connections destined for business<br />

agents. The water supply system is also equipped<br />

with 43 valves and 63 hydrants as well as a public<br />

fountain, which is out of use.<br />

“Plopi” DMAs are metered by two water meters as<br />

follows: one water meter, type Wortex, 150 mm,<br />

class B, is mounted horizontally through which<br />

the water volume is measured for DMAs input;<br />

and another water meter, type Wortex, 150 mm,<br />

class B, is mounted horizontally, through which we<br />

measure the volume of water that exits the DMAs.<br />

A sense valve is mounted in front of this water<br />

meter, which only allows water to exit the DMAs.<br />

Fig.4 shows the monthly values obtained following<br />

monitoring, from implementation until now, of the<br />

main performance indicators of the distribution<br />

network: the unavoidable average real loss (UARL),<br />

the current annual real loss (CARL), and the<br />

infrastructure leakage indicator (ILI), respectively,<br />

which results from the water balance.<br />

From fig.4 we observe that after the first month<br />

of monitoring in “Plopi” DMAs, the loss was 29%,<br />

which is 4% higher than the target of 25%. The<br />

following verifications have come to the conclusion<br />

that a 29% loss was produced by the damages<br />

done following the beginning of the work done to<br />

extend the sewerage network. Therefore, in 2008<br />

(September - December) the loss of drinking water<br />

was 50%, because of the damage caused by the<br />

work to extend the canal network, the creation of<br />

sewerage connections, work done to extend the<br />

water network and the creation of new connections.<br />

In 2009 (January - August) in “Plopi” DMAs, there<br />

has been more damage that has had the effect of<br />

growing water losses. In May we detected the<br />

failure of a hydrant and a connection (loss of 31%);<br />

in June we detected a connection failure; in July we<br />

detected pipe damage; and in August we detected<br />

two pipe defects. In April the loss was 37%, due<br />

to the entering in service of a PEHD pipe, with a<br />

diameter of 110-125 mm and a total length of 2.4<br />

km. We observed that starting in May there was a<br />

growth in the unavoidable annual real loss (UARL),<br />

due to the fact that the time which passed between<br />

damage detection and its repair was 22 days in the<br />

case of the hydrant, and 17 days in the case of the<br />

connection (May); an additional factor was the<br />

growth of the number of connections. The water<br />

loss in the year to August 2009 (January - August)<br />

was of 27%, with 2% more than the proposed target.


Fig.4. The evolution of performance indicators in “Plopi” DMAs<br />

CONCLUSIONS<br />

The division of the water supply system in metered<br />

areas, which allows for the direction of the detection<br />

activity to that part of the distribution system with<br />

the highest loss, also allows for the identification of<br />

the necessary investments and enables the ranking<br />

of those investments in order of priority.<br />

From the case studies presented, we see that<br />

monitoring of the specific performance indicators<br />

to the DMAs, at least on a monthly basis, leads to<br />

the growth of operating performance within the<br />

system (through quick location of the losses, and<br />

growth of speed and quality of repairs), and of<br />

course the reduction of the water loss caused by<br />

damages.<br />

The implementation of the strategy to reduce the<br />

water losses in Timisoara City has started in 2008,<br />

having as an effect the reduction of losses by 2% at<br />

the end of the first year. The unbilled water volume<br />

in 2008 was about 15 million m3 with 2.2 million m3 less than in 2007.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

125<br />

• Malcolm Farley, Stuart Trow, Losses<br />

in <strong>Water</strong> Distribution Networks: A<br />

Practitioner’s Guide to Assessment,<br />

•<br />

Monitoring and Control, IWA Publishing,<br />

2003<br />

District Metered Areas, Guidance Notes,<br />

IWA Publishing, February 2007, Version 1<br />

• Leak Location and Repair, Guidance Notes,<br />

IWA Publishing, March 2007, Version 1


126<br />

Romania: city of Satu Mare<br />

Non revenue-generating water at SC Apaserv<br />

Satu Mare SA – Regional Company <strong>Water</strong> and<br />

Sewage Services<br />

Mr Sava Gheorhe, Mr Claudiu Tulba, Project Manager of WWTP-PIU, S.C.APASERV SATU<br />

MARE SA<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

“<strong>Water</strong> that does not bring revenue at SC Apaserv Satu Mare SA –Regional Society service water and<br />

sewage”<br />

The water supply in Satu Mare City is ensured through a ring network with a total length of 186,803 km,<br />

formed of main pipes and secondary distribution pipes. The pipes are made of: 5.77 % of grey cast iron up<br />

to 40 years old and more, 71.72% asbestos cement up to and more than 10-40 years old, 4.04% pre-stressed<br />

concrete up to 20 years old, 4.31% from steel 20-40 years old and 14.16 of PVC, polyethylene, glass fibre<br />

reinforced polyesters, ductile cast iron not older than 10 years. There are 15,501 connections with a total<br />

length of 155 km, of which the majority are from polyethylene and PVC, and the rest lead, zinc steel and<br />

grey cast iron. All connections are metered; the pressure in the system is between 2.0-3.2 atmospheres. The<br />

Infrastructure Leakage Indicator (ILI) for the supply network of Satu Mare City is 21.68, with a real annual<br />

loss of 215 thousand m3/month. This led to the elaboration of a strategy to reduce the water losses to less<br />

than 25 per cent in the first stage.<br />

This paper presents the water losses reduction strategy and the initial results obtained after its<br />

implementation. During the first years the water losses were reduced from 40 per cent to 28per cent. The<br />

established strategy tackles the four activities – pressure management, proactive loss management, assets<br />

management, repairs speed and quality - that have a direct influence on the inevitable losses dynamic.<br />

The short term water loss reduction strategy foresees proactive water loss detection in connections,<br />

reinforcements and main pipes. Damage detected is registered in the repairs programme. The medium and<br />

long term water loss reduction strategy foresees the division of the system into metered sectors in order<br />

to direct detection activity to the part of the supply network with the highest losses, identify the necessary<br />

investments and prioritize these. The implementation of the water loss reduction strategy started in 2005,<br />

and will continue with a reduction of losses of 1 per cent per year.


INTRODUCTION<br />

S.C. “APASERV SATU MARE S.A.” was founded in<br />

accordance with the Decision of the Local Council<br />

of Satu Mare Municipality no. 16 / 83 / 25.08.2004<br />

From the date of 28.09.2005 pursuant to Order no.<br />

607 of ANRSC - Bucharest, it obtained the Class 2<br />

license for public water supply and sewerage<br />

It was founded in order to fulfill the conditions of<br />

the Financing Memorandum concluded between<br />

the Government of Romania and the <strong>European</strong><br />

Commission on financial assistance grants awarded<br />

by the Instrument for Structural Policies for Preaccession,<br />

ISPA Measure No. 2002 / RO / 16 / P /<br />

PE / 019 “Satu Mare Improvements to the <strong>Water</strong><br />

Supply and Wastewater Collection and Treatment<br />

Systems “<br />

Since May 2007, S.C. “APASERV SATU MARE S.A”<br />

has become a regional operator.<br />

ShareholderS<br />

SC APASERV SATU MARE SA is a joint stock<br />

company, 100% privately owned from funds from<br />

local public authorities.<br />

At present, contracts regarding delegation of<br />

management of the water supply public service by<br />

concession have been concluded with 15 localities,<br />

and are in the process of being concluded with the<br />

other localities. Furthermore, the taking-over of<br />

the public services will be made a priority for the<br />

town councils which are shareholders of SC SATU<br />

MARE APASERV S.A<br />

Starting on 27.03.2009, the Inter-community<br />

Development <strong>Association</strong> (IDA) was founded by<br />

the town halls of various localities from Satu Mare<br />

County and the County Council of Satu Mare. Each<br />

127<br />

local authority will sign contracts of delegation<br />

with the IDA.<br />

ORGANIzATION<br />

In 2009, the company had a total number of 458<br />

employees in various departments that cover most<br />

areas of the county.<br />

There is also a department for the detection and<br />

visualization of losses subordinated to the Technical<br />

Director, which has the following composition:<br />

Head of office:<br />

• Visualization Laboratory and detection of<br />

water losses<br />

• Visualization Laboratory and detection of<br />

sewage<br />

Interventions are provided through collaboration<br />

with the <strong>Water</strong> Department / Sewage Department,<br />

the departments involved in remedying any arising<br />

damages.<br />

GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGY NRW<br />

• Lowering the NRW (non-revenue water) at<br />

cost-effective values - Dec.2010<br />

• Satu Mare city from 37.68 % to 35 % (total<br />

losses)<br />

• Carei town from 62.39 % to 55 %<br />

• Tasnad town from 54.49 % to 44 %<br />

• Improve the operational management<br />

•<br />

by implementing an active management<br />

system of the losses until 2010;<br />

Reduction until 2013 of the operating<br />

costs in real terms by 3% compared to the<br />

reference year of 2008, by implementing<br />

methods of active control of losses<br />

• We estimate the extension of the average<br />

life of the drinking water distribution<br />

networks by 3 years, following operational


128<br />

measures of the active control of losses<br />

• Reduce by 5%, until 2010, the complaints on<br />

interruptions in supply and / or regarding<br />

pressure<br />

• Modernization of the system for monitoring<br />

and solving complaints - December 2010<br />

• Improving activities of operation and<br />

maintenance in general and the control<br />

of losses in particular, so that in the next<br />

5 years the company can be among the<br />

top 10 regional operators in Romania in<br />

benchmarking exercise on the low level of<br />

NRW<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Consumption and water losses during 1995-<br />

2008 Satu Mare City, Satu Mare County<br />

The total losses are expressed in thousands m3 . As<br />

we can observe, the consumption apparently saw<br />

a decreasing trend and total losses have increased.<br />

This can be explained: Initial losses were very small<br />

because in 1996 water consumption was higher and<br />

the equipments were new. <strong>Water</strong> consumption has<br />

decreased greatly along with:<br />

• closure of companies which were big<br />

consumers<br />

• increase of individual metering; for<br />

•<br />

example it reached 98% in Satu Mare city<br />

(the inhabitants associations were given<br />

up).<br />

due to the investments in technology at<br />

the time, the water price increased and<br />

the operation and maintenance personnel<br />

decreased<br />

The existing composition of water networks in Satu<br />

Mare city<br />

As we can see from the chart, the pipes are composed<br />

of the following: 5.77 % from grey cast iron – up to<br />

40 years old and more; 71.72% asbestos cement – up<br />

to or more than 10-40 years old; 4.04% pre-stressed<br />

concrete – up to 20 years old: 4.31% from steel –<br />

20-40 years old; and 14.16 PVC, polyethylene, glass<br />

fiber reinforced polyesters, ductile cast iron – not<br />

older than 10 years. There are 15,501 connections<br />

with a total length of 155 km, out of which the<br />

majority are from polyethylene and PVC, and the<br />

rest from lead, zinc steel and grey cast iron. 98%<br />

of the connections are metered and the pressure in<br />

the system is between 2.0-3.2 atmospheres.<br />

The following activities have been made to date for<br />

Reducing <strong>Water</strong> Losses:<br />

The completion of the investment ISPA No. 2002/<br />

RO / 16 / P / PE /019 “Satu Mare Improvements<br />

to the <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Wastewater Collection<br />

and Treatment Systems” is approaching, which<br />

provides for the refurbishment of the raw water<br />

mains and wells and refurbishment of the drinking<br />

water treatment plant Mărtineşti for the water<br />

supply system;<br />

• S.C. APASERV SATU MARE S.A. has a<br />

laboratory equipped to detect water losses<br />

that has Hidrolux and Corelux, Datalogger;<br />

• Flow meters were purchased and installed<br />

to beneficiaries, in Satu Mare the degree of<br />

metering to connections is 98%;<br />

• The flow meters installed to beneficiaries<br />

are in the process of being sealed;<br />

• The program for repairs and washing of the<br />

water networks was executed based on a<br />

program on the streets (in 2008);<br />

• The program for reducing water losses was<br />

run in the period between 2005 – 2008<br />

• The program for verification of the<br />

Laboratory for water losses detection was<br />

run on every street located in Satu-Mare<br />

City, once a year


The main objectives achieved and currently in being<br />

executed:<br />

• the strategy NRW was made at the end of<br />

year 2008; its implementation will follow;<br />

• respecting the Program for Reducing <strong>Water</strong><br />

Losses for the period 2008-2010<br />

• continuing the action of sealing the flow<br />

meters installed to beneficiaries;<br />

• continuing the action of purchasing and<br />

mounting the flow meters to beneficiaries;<br />

• execution of the investment works from<br />

MRD funds– replacement of networks and<br />

valves;<br />

• metering of water consumption at property<br />

limits, where the rule is not respected;<br />

• storage and permanent monitoring of data<br />

related to failures on connections and<br />

hydrants;<br />

• drawing up the program for metrological<br />

testing at an interval of 5 years;<br />

• storage and monitoring the structural<br />

damages from water networks (typical<br />

form)<br />

• running the annual verification program<br />

of the laboratory for localization of water<br />

losses on every street from Satu Mare – 2<br />

times a year<br />

Specific Objectives NRW:<br />

• Identifying, with high precision, all<br />

components of the water balance,<br />

•<br />

correcting and completing the methods of<br />

calculation and estimates, together with a<br />

consultant;<br />

Increasing metering to 99% - December<br />

2009, which will reduce losses by about<br />

0.5%<br />

• Decreasing unmetered and uninvoiced<br />

consumption by;<br />

• Metering in proportion to 80% of its own<br />

129<br />

•<br />

consumers;<br />

Estimating, calculating with more precision<br />

the water used for washing networks;<br />

• <strong>Water</strong> consumed by fire hydrants- fire sites;<br />

• Apparent losses;<br />

• 10% reduction of unauthorized<br />

•<br />

consumption in a year by identifying<br />

unauthorized consumers;<br />

Reducing errors of meter measurement by<br />

20 % -Dec. 2009;<br />

• Discovering of defective flow metersreaders<br />

of index consumed;<br />

• Replacing defective flow meters-water<br />

department;<br />

• Real losses - reduction of losses in the<br />

network by 1% in 12 months by discovering<br />

hidden defects, visualization-losses office<br />

through losses detection program<br />

• Promptness in interventions and repairing<br />

of faults –intervention sheet<br />

The strategy adopted will be active<br />

Medium and long-term measures<br />

• Creation of districts / sub districts for<br />

monitoring and measurement of losses<br />

• Continued annual investments in IID<br />

programs (development funds): expansion<br />

and replacement of network pipes with<br />

high wear<br />

• Continuing the regional investment<br />

programs by accessing Cohesion Funds<br />

Indicators to evaluate the losses in the pipes:<br />

The indicators from the table are according to<br />

I.W.A., the International <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />

As can be seen from the data presented for the<br />

assessment of the losses in 2007, the data were not<br />

quite correct. Thus can be explained along with the<br />

increase of losses in Tasnad town – in fact there


130<br />

were no measurements at the outlet from the<br />

pumping station and the meters mounted to the<br />

beneficiaries were old.<br />

<strong>Water</strong> balance and assessment of losses in 2007-<br />

2008 in Satu Mare<br />

<strong>Water</strong> balance and assessment of losses in 2008 in<br />

`Tăşnad<br />

Operation and maintenance practices<br />

• The OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE<br />

PROGRAM, running for 10 years, contains<br />

current practices and future objectives. It<br />

is being improved by an ISPA Consultant,<br />

following discussions between the ROC<br />

and FOPIP.<br />

• The Assets Management Plan has been<br />

finalized together with the FOPIP<br />

•<br />

Consultant.<br />

An additional module for management of<br />

the fixed assets is to be acquired by the<br />

ROC<br />

• By the end of the year, the reconciliation<br />

of GIS data with that of accounting will be<br />

made by the ROC.<br />

• Division into districts and sub-districts of<br />

Satu Mare city<br />

Necessary resources:<br />

• purchase and installation of meters at the 5<br />

points of the measurement areas: Deadline<br />

April 2010<br />

• procurement and installation of 5 pressure<br />

transducers - including the software<br />

•<br />

necessary: Deadline 2009<br />

procurement and installation of 10 valves<br />

and 20 valves Dn 300 and Dn 200, to<br />

achieve measurement areas: Deadline 2009<br />

• procurement and installation of 11<br />

flow meters Dn 200 and Dn 300 to<br />

achieve measurement areas: Deadline 2010<br />

• procurement and installation of 3<br />

pressure transducers (water plant no.<br />

1, No. 2 water plant, pumping station<br />

Fagului) and software necessary to<br />

drive the water distribution process:<br />

Deadline 2010<br />

PIloT STUdY oN WaTer loSSeS IN TaSNad<br />

NrW :<br />

Requirements – FOPIP CONSULTANT<br />

1. Establish a team to implement the project<br />

(existing resources) subordinated to the<br />

Technical Director. The team should<br />

include technical staff and personnel to<br />

repair the network.<br />

2. Repair valves and hydrants to determine the<br />

right location and appropriate efficiency.<br />

Replacing all fittings defects identified.<br />

3. Identify any additional valves (each<br />

main pipe must be isolated) and hydrant<br />

required.<br />

4. Installation of additional valves and<br />

hydrants, if necessary<br />

5. Installation of a counter to the pumping<br />

station (or checking the accuracy of the<br />

existing one). The counter must be easy to<br />

use, considering its purpose of collecting<br />

information.<br />

6. Provision of a facility for monitoring the<br />

level at the water tower, at the higher<br />

pressure areas and checking the valve<br />

system for possible isolation<br />

7. Measurement of the indication of the<br />

meter of the property / population for each<br />

pipeline which can be isolated.<br />

8. Installation of flow meters (not for<br />

invoicing) at the selected properties, which<br />

are currently invoiced in system “pausal”<br />

(estimated) .This will not be necessary if the


Program for metering is advanced.<br />

9. Identifying the network locations where<br />

hydrants/ valves/ hydrant installations can<br />

be used further as mobile equipment for<br />

wastewater measuring.<br />

10. Continuing the programme of the<br />

installation / replacement of water meters.<br />

Continuing the programme of monthly<br />

reading of the meters and identification of<br />

the meters which are suspect / defective for<br />

replacement.<br />

11. Identifying the necessary equipment for<br />

the Project of <strong>Water</strong> Losses reduction–<br />

correlator / location equipment / listening<br />

equipment / portable flow measurement<br />

unit (lab) / pressure measuring equipment.<br />

12. Taking the opportunity at the moment of<br />

repair or installation of the pipe fittings to<br />

record the condition of the pipes – material,<br />

diameter, internal and external conditions.<br />

13. Installing the checking meters on the<br />

service pipes to establish the accuracy of<br />

the older meters.<br />

Benefits:<br />

1. <strong>Water</strong> losses reduction in the network.<br />

2. A better understanding of the network<br />

operation.<br />

3. Setting a minimum acceptable flow at<br />

night.<br />

4. Early identification of water losses in the<br />

network.<br />

5. Defining an objective policy for replacement<br />

of the meters.<br />

6. Demonstration of an improved service,<br />

taking in consideration a proactive<br />

approach to reduce water losses.<br />

131<br />

Works carried out in order to eliminate <strong>Water</strong><br />

Losses - Pilot Study -District Tasnad Town<br />

Works executed during the period May 2007 -<br />

August 2009<br />

1. For the metering works, the following<br />

actions were made:<br />

• 15 staircases of blocks of flats were metered<br />

with 250 pcs water meters for apartments<br />

• 49 water meters were mounted at economic<br />

agents<br />

• 430 water meters were installed at private<br />

houses on the street<br />

• 150 pcs water meters with metrological<br />

testing bulletin expired or defects were<br />

changed<br />

• 54 general water meters were mounted at<br />

all staircases of blocks of flats in Tasnad<br />

town<br />

• 2 water meters were mounted for the<br />

detection of water losses in the network:<br />

• 1 water meter for the area I- pumping<br />

station Strand –Blaja village<br />

• 1 water meter for the area II -railway<br />

station area<br />

• After the mounting of the new water<br />

meters and replacement of the defective<br />

water meters, monthly readings were made<br />

(not at 4 months)<br />

2. 23 defective valves were identified from a<br />

total of 67 pcs<br />

3. 10 old valves were replaced with new valves<br />

4. 22 valves were repaired<br />

5. 6 defective hydrants were identified and<br />

replaced with new above-ground hydrants<br />

6. 60 connections were repaired and 102<br />

connections were replaced<br />

7. 24m of raw water main on the Crasna Street<br />

were replaced<br />

8. the water network on Campului Street was<br />

replaced with a length of 1,200m and 2<br />

hydrants were mounted


132<br />

9. one valve Dn 150 and one manometer were<br />

mounted on the Crasna street for water<br />

loss detection<br />

10. by means of the mobile detection laboratory,<br />

around 70% of the network was checked in<br />

order to detect the defects<br />

11. repairs were made on the water network in<br />

350 locations<br />

12. the water network was rehabilitated with a<br />

length of 150m on Lacrimioarei street<br />

13. 5 flow meters Dn100 were replaced at 5<br />

wells<br />

14. 5 submersible pumps of the Hebe type were<br />

replaced with new pumps of the Grundfos<br />

type<br />

15. 2 flow meters Dn 100 with impulses were<br />

mounted for recording the flow variations<br />

16. 7 pcs section valves were mounted in the<br />

intervention area for the pilot study<br />

17. a failure was detected and repaired at the<br />

pipeline from the water tower<br />

18. the water networks and sewer networks<br />

were integrated partially into GIS<br />

19. approximatively 95% of the water meters<br />

that had been mounted at the population<br />

and economic agents were sealed<br />

activities proposed for monitoring and reducing the<br />

water losses<br />

• Continuously monitoring the raw water<br />

main which supplies the two pressure areas<br />

• Increasing the degree of metering up to<br />

100%<br />

• Continuing the actions of replacement<br />

and sealing the defective water meters and<br />

those which are outside the validity period<br />

of meteorological checking<br />

• Replacement of the defective hydrants and<br />

mounting the new above-ground hydrants<br />

• Completion and permanent monitoring<br />

of the list of structural damages from the<br />

water network<br />

Forms Registration and monitoring of water loss<br />

These are 2 examples which we consider to be the<br />

most relevant and easy to use:<br />

• List of structural damages in water network<br />

• Situation of damages: conneections and<br />

hydrants<br />

Examples of the records are included in a GIS.


Republic of Serbia<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction in the Republic of<br />

Serbia: Practical Experiences and Encountered<br />

Problems<br />

Mr Branislav Babić, Mr Aleksandar Djukić, Faculty of Civil Engineering University of<br />

Belgrade<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

A chronic lack of funds for investment in proper maintenance, rehabilitation and modernisation of water<br />

supply systems (WSS) in Serbia during the last twenty years has led to an increase in water losses. In the<br />

last several years a few measures for the detection and reduction of water losses were implemented, but<br />

the scope and effects of those measures were limited due to unreliable water production and consumption<br />

data, and due to incomplete information on existing network water connections. In addition, the absence<br />

of commonly accepted terminology and methodology for activities on water losses reduction are posing<br />

further obstacles in the preparation and implementation of sound and efficient measures.<br />

Recently, methodology proposed by the International <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> has been applied in several<br />

waterworks, but this methodology still is not commonly accepted. Although exact data are not available,<br />

recent estimates revealed that current water losses in WSS in Serbia are approx 40 per cent of delivered<br />

water. In addition to the overview of the current state of water loss reduction in Serbia, the paper presents a<br />

summary of case studies from two major cities in Serbia. As the first step towards a definition of measures<br />

for reduction of water losses and increase of water supply system efficiency, the public utility company<br />

Belgrade <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage has contracted four local companies to perform analyses of the state<br />

of the water supply network and water losses in different suburban areas of Belgrade (i.e. pilot zones).<br />

The first phase of the project is completed and activities included the survey of the water supply network,<br />

the identification of all consumers and most of the illegal connections, the development of databases,<br />

mathematical modelling, the checking of the existing water meters and measurements of flow rates and<br />

pressures. The second phase of the project is about to begin and activities will include the preparation<br />

and execution of detailed field measurements, analyses of the results of measurements, the calibration of<br />

mathematical models, the definition and execution of rehabilitation measures and the monitoring of their<br />

effects. In another Serbian city, the city of Pozarevac, a complex water loss reduction programme has been<br />

launched, aiming not only to reduce water losses but to modernise overall operation of the company and<br />

provide training of company staff.<br />

133


134<br />

1. PRESENT STATE IN THE SECTOR<br />

A chronic lack of funds for investment in proper<br />

maintenance, rehabilitation and modernisation of<br />

water supply systems (WSS) in Serbia during the<br />

last twenty years has led to an increase in water<br />

losses. Although exact data are not available, recent<br />

estimates revealed that current water losses in<br />

WSS in Serbia are approx 40% of delivered water.<br />

The Republic of Serbia <strong>Water</strong> Resources Master<br />

Plan (prepared in the mid 1990s, adopted in 2002)<br />

recognized the need for reduction of water losses<br />

from water supply networks. The Master Plan<br />

envisaged that water losses shall be reduced to<br />

18% of delivered water by the year 2021. However,<br />

since the time the Master Plan was adopted very<br />

little had been done in that regard. Overlapping<br />

of competences in the water sector, insufficient<br />

institutional capacities and specific knowledge in<br />

the field, low water prices and other factors lead<br />

to the situation where no national water policy in<br />

reducing water losses and common methodology<br />

exist. Fro the past several years some measures for<br />

the detection and reduction of water losses were<br />

implemented in several water supply systems,<br />

usually as a result of cooperation of municipalities<br />

with international cooperation organisations<br />

and competent national authorities, but the<br />

scope and effects of those measures were limited<br />

due to unreliable data on water production and<br />

consumption, incomplete information on existing<br />

network and water connections, and other factors.<br />

All waterworks companies in Serbia are established<br />

as public utility companies founded by a municipality<br />

or a city. According to the current regulations, the<br />

owner of all waterworks and sewerage assets is the<br />

Republic of Serbia. The current level of water prices<br />

in Serbia is not nearly enough to provide full cost<br />

recovery, leading to heavy dependence of utility<br />

companies on governmental subsidies. In the past<br />

decade some progress was made in reducing illegal<br />

consumption, installing bulk meters, replacement<br />

of old pipes and increasing the percentage of<br />

collected water bills.<br />

2. CITY OF BELGRADE<br />

The Public Utility Company Belgrade <strong>Water</strong>works<br />

and Sewerage (PUC BWS) supplies over 1,350,000<br />

inhabitants, a greater part of industry in the city and<br />

all municipal institutions. 60% of total abstracted<br />

water originates from groundwater, while 40% is<br />

abstracted from surface waters - the river Sava.<br />

The distribution network has more than 2,500 km<br />

of pipes, 20 pumping stations and 21 water tanks.<br />

It is estimated that around 1,000 km of pipes of<br />

service connections are built. The most commonlyused<br />

pipe material is cast iron (around 50%). The<br />

distribution network of the Belgrade <strong>Water</strong>works<br />

is divided into five water supply elevation zones,<br />

which are arranged between the levels 70.00 and<br />

325.00 m.a.m.s.l. Customers of the PUC BWS<br />

services are households, institutions and industry.<br />

verall share in water consumption of institutions<br />

and industry is approximately 28 %, of which 45 %<br />

denotes to institutions and 55 % to industry.<br />

Annual water production has been slowly declining<br />

in recent years (total decline ~5%), amounting<br />

last year to nearly 240 million m3 , while billed<br />

consumption is around 160 million m3 . Data<br />

on illegal customers of the BWS are still a rough<br />

estimate only. Since 2001 more than 20,000 new<br />

customers who were not previously paying for<br />

water supply services have been registered. <strong>Water</strong><br />

production of the BWS meets customer demands<br />

throughout the year, but occasional water shortages<br />

occur during summer months on the border areas<br />

of the BWS due to transportation limitations of<br />

the distribution network and unauthorized water<br />

consumption. Low water prices, leaking water<br />

installations in buildings and poor water saving


practices led to high water consumption per capita<br />

(over 200 l/cap.day).<br />

Reduction of water losses has been identified by<br />

PUC BWS as one of priority tasks. In that regard<br />

the following measures have been implemented:<br />

• More than 150 major flow meters have<br />

been installed for various purposes (water<br />

production balancing, measurement of<br />

water consumption in water supply zones,<br />

control flow meters for managing the<br />

distribution network, etc.).<br />

• A great number of water meters on service<br />

connections have been replaced or installed<br />

for the first time.<br />

• Replacement of old pipes with new (mainly<br />

ductile) pipes has been intensified.<br />

• Analyses and reduction of water losses in<br />

four “pilot zones” was performed.<br />

However, the system of water meters is not<br />

sufficiently developed, and the same applies to<br />

the division of distribution networks into district<br />

metering areas, which would permit reliable and<br />

efficient flow monitoring, water losses estimation<br />

and rapid detection of any critical situation. Also,<br />

goals (benchmarks) for reducing water losses have<br />

still to be defined.<br />

2.1 Analyses and reduction of water losses in four<br />

“pilot zones”<br />

The Public Enterprise “Belgrade <strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />

and Sewerage” contracted four local companies to<br />

perform analyses of the state of the water supply<br />

network and water losses in different suburban<br />

areas of Belgrade (i.e. “pilot zones”). The main<br />

characteristics of the four pilot zones investigated<br />

are shown in Table 1.<br />

Table 1. Number of inhabitants and water meters in<br />

investigated pilot zones<br />

Pilot zone Inhabitants <strong>Water</strong> meters<br />

Kumodraž Selo 4,000 549<br />

Jajinci 4,000 1,169<br />

Baćevac 8,000 2,503<br />

Velika Moštanica 5,300 1,524<br />

135<br />

In the first phase, the investigations included<br />

field surveying, inventory of all elements of the<br />

existing distribution network (both legal and<br />

illegal), inventory of water connections (legal and<br />

illegal), water meters, manholes and water users.<br />

Readings on all water meters were checked three<br />

times during a period of three months. Each pilot<br />

zone has one input main pipe that was used for<br />

measurement of the flow rate and pressures during<br />

a period of at least six months. Every contractor<br />

developed a mathematical model of the water<br />

distribution network and a numerical database with<br />

all the collected and checked data for the assigned<br />

pilot zone. The contractors applied different<br />

procedures for water balance and distribution<br />

network simulation models, allowing the BWS to<br />

assess the applicability of different procedures and<br />

methodologies for analyses of water distribution<br />

systems.<br />

An inventory of the existing connections and<br />

water meters was performed up to the maximal<br />

possible extent for each zone. Connections and<br />

water meters were checked and, in some cases,<br />

reconstruction was needed in order to provide<br />

technically appropriate connections. This situation<br />

was further complicated by the fact that the majority<br />

of buildings in the considered zones were built<br />

without construction permits and were connected<br />

to the water supply distribution network by means<br />

of illegally constructed connections, usually not up<br />

to the technical requirements.


136<br />

The second phase of the project is in progress and<br />

activities include the preparation and execution<br />

of detailed field measurements, analyses of the<br />

results of measurements, the calibration of<br />

mathematical models, the definition and execution<br />

of rehabilitation measures and the monitoring of<br />

their effects.<br />

Terminology used and characteristics of distribution<br />

networks<br />

Each contractor applied a specific methodology and<br />

terminology for data analyses. This will allow the<br />

BWS to assess different approaches and definitions<br />

of terms that are to be used in further similar<br />

analyses. These approaches will be harmonized<br />

with the IWA guidelines and terminology and later<br />

adopted by the BWS as their Internal Technical<br />

Guidelines.<br />

Results of measurements and estimate of water<br />

losses<br />

Pressures and flow rates were measured in the main<br />

input pipes on each of the four areas investigated<br />

during a period of at least six months. A summary<br />

of the results, including measured minimal night<br />

flows are shown in the following table.<br />

Table 2. Measured flows and pressures on the main supply<br />

pipes<br />

Pilot zone Night flow<br />

Qmin (l/s) Qmin / Pressure<br />

Qaverage (bar)<br />

K u m o d r a ž<br />

Selo<br />

18 0.7 2.1-2.7<br />

Jajinci 22 0.6 2.0-2.5<br />

Baćevac 10 0.4 2.0-2.3<br />

Velika<br />

Moštanica<br />

12 0.6 5.0-6.0<br />

Although all the areas investigated are comprised<br />

only of households without any industrial water<br />

users, measured results show significant night<br />

flows, indicating potentially high levels of water<br />

losses. For the “Jajinci” and “Velika Moštanica”<br />

zones Unavoidable Average Real Losses (UARL)<br />

and Infrastructure Leakage Index (ILI) parameters<br />

were calculated (Table 3).<br />

Table 3. Estimation of performance indicators<br />

Pilot zone UARL ILI<br />

Jajinci 67.3 7.15<br />

Velika Moštanica 72.7 3.35<br />

For “Jajinci” zone further analyses were performed<br />

and performance indicators were estimated by<br />

water balance calculation over a period of 180 days,<br />

for which measured results were available (Table<br />

4). According to IWA suggestions, the following<br />

parameters were obtained for the Jajinci region:<br />

• Total number of connections in the<br />

network: 1,246<br />

• Position of water meters in the network:<br />

5-10 m, average 7.0 m from regulation line;<br />

• Total length of water distribution network:<br />

17.179 km<br />

• Average pressure during regular operation:<br />

63.0 m<br />

• Density of water connections: 72.5 per km


Table 4. Consumption and water losses in the “Jajinci”<br />

pilot zone<br />

Category No. Average Total con- % of % of<br />

of daily consumption total inwasumption<br />

within balance lossputter (m3/day) period (m3) esme-<br />

Per In Per In<br />

terswa- zone water zone<br />

termemeterter<br />

<strong>Water</strong><br />

losses<br />

1600.5 288,090 100 52.93<br />

Estimated<br />

consumption<br />

due to<br />

water metermalfunction<br />

(measured<br />

discharge<br />

was zero)<br />

145 1.46 211.7 262.8 38,106 13.23 7.00<br />

Estimated<br />

consumption<br />

that<br />

was not<br />

measured<br />

46 1.46 67.2 262.8 12,089 4.20 2.22<br />

Estimated<br />

unauthorisedconsumption<br />

520 1.46 759.2 262.8 136,656 47.44 25.11<br />

Total<br />

apparent<br />

losses<br />

1038.1 186,851 64.86 34.33<br />

Real losses 562.4 101,239 35.14 18.60<br />

For water network in Jajinci region, CARL indicator<br />

is calculated as follows:<br />

• Real losses during analysed period (180<br />

days during 2004.): 101,239 m3<br />

• CARL: 481.1 l/conn.day<br />

In water distribution, water losses are inevitable<br />

to some extent (UARL). This indicator takes into<br />

consideration length of the network, number of<br />

connections, length of the connections from the<br />

137<br />

distribution network to the water meters and<br />

operational pressure in the network. The UARL for<br />

the Jajinci region is 67.30 l/day per connection. The<br />

indicator ILI is calculated by dividing CARL and<br />

UARL. For this region, the indicator ILI = 481.13<br />

/ 67.30 = 7.15. The IWA workgroup suggested<br />

that indicator ILI should be around 1.0 for the<br />

systems with low water losses and around 10.0 for<br />

high leaking systems. It is worth mentioning that<br />

extensive water losses from water meters were<br />

discovered.<br />

3. CITY OF POzAREVAC<br />

The Pozarevac municipality is located in the central<br />

part of Serbia, 75 km south-east of Belgrade. The<br />

municipality has 75,000 inhabitants, of which<br />

more than 45,000 live in the municipality centre<br />

– the city of Pozarevac. In 2007 the municipality<br />

of Pozarevac, through the municipal water supply<br />

company PUC <strong>Water</strong>works Pozarevac, arranged<br />

for a preparation of the municipal <strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />

Master Plan. The Master Plan outlined the most<br />

critical problems in the existing communal water<br />

supply scheme, as well as its long term development.<br />

The most critical issues in the existing water supply<br />

scheme include inadequate monitoring, control<br />

and operation of the water source, insufficient<br />

operational efficiency, deficiency of water storage<br />

capacity, an outdated and unreliable distribution<br />

network and a very high level of water losses. The<br />

project aiming at modernization and development<br />

of the water supply system has been prepared with<br />

support of the Municipality Support Programme of<br />

North-East Serbia, funded by EAR (the latter by the<br />

Delegation of the EU Commission to the Republic<br />

of Serbia). The comparison between operational<br />

indicators in the PUC in Pozarevac with some<br />

national indicators from neighbouring countries is<br />

given in the following table.


138<br />

Table 5. Operational indicators in the PUC in Pozarevac<br />

and in some neighbouring countries.<br />

Bosnia and<br />

Herzegovina<br />

Czech<br />

Croatia<br />

Hungary<br />

Romania<br />

Collected bills % N/A 98 60 100 100 85<br />

Drinking water<br />

coverage %<br />

72 91 93 99 93 70<br />

Non revenue drinking<br />

water %<br />

62 20 19 20 40 43<br />

Residential water<br />

consumption (l/c/d)<br />

134 102 261 114 112 190<br />

Povarevac<br />

The project was originally oriented towards<br />

implementation of the upgrade of groundwater<br />

source. However, in order to achieve the overall<br />

project objectives and improve the level of<br />

communal services, it was deemed necessary to<br />

also tackle the very poor status of the distribution<br />

network and introduce measures aimed at<br />

improving operational efficiency. The scope of the<br />

project includes: (1) Upgrade of the infrastructure<br />

and equipment at the groundwater source; (2)<br />

Replacement of the old transmission/distribution<br />

main through the town centre; (3) Realisation of<br />

a comprehensive leakage detection programme<br />

with training of the PUC in leakage detection,<br />

and handing over necessary leakage detection<br />

and measuring equipment to the PUC. The total<br />

cost of the project is 3.95 million Euro, of which<br />

nearly 80% is financed by the EU and the rest by<br />

the Municipality. Realisation of a comprehensive<br />

leakage detection programme started in late 2008,<br />

and the scope of the programme includes:<br />

• Establishment of a GIS database of<br />

structures and consumers; new billing<br />

system.<br />

• Preparation, calibration and verification<br />

of mathematical model of distribution<br />

networks, connected with the GIS.<br />

• Establishment of district metering areas,<br />

field measurements, water balancing.<br />

• Supply of leak detection equipment and<br />

detection of leaks from distribution mains.<br />

• Training of PUC <strong>Water</strong>works Pozarevac<br />

in GIS, mathematical modelling new<br />

computerised billing system, operation of<br />

leakage detection equipment.<br />

• Preparation of a plan for repairs and longterm<br />

activities on water loss reduction, to<br />

be implemented by the PUC <strong>Water</strong>works<br />

after completion of the initial programme.<br />

• Supply and installation of equipment<br />

(e.g. flow meters, pressure regulators,<br />

pressure gauges, SCADA system, computer<br />

equipment).<br />

Implementation of the programme is behind<br />

schedule mainly due to incomplete information<br />

on the existing network and water connections.<br />

The new computerised billing system has been<br />

commissioned and immediately provides an<br />

increase in the percentage of collected bills.<br />

Completion of the programme is expected in mid<br />

2010.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

• H Alegre, JM Baptista, E Cabrera Jr, F<br />

Cubillo, P Duarte, W Hirner, W Merkel, R<br />

Parena: Performance Indicators for <strong>Water</strong><br />

Supply Services - Second Edition, IWA<br />

Publishing, London, UK, 2006<br />

• B.Babić, D.Prodanović, M.Ivetić:<br />

„Preliminary Results of <strong>Water</strong> Losses<br />

Research in Sections of Belgrade <strong>Water</strong><br />

Supply System and Developing of Technical<br />

Guidelines and Procedures”, Eight<br />

International Conference on Computing<br />

and Control for the <strong>Water</strong> Industry, CCWI<br />

2005, “<strong>Water</strong> Management for the 21st


•<br />

Century”, CIWEM, IWA, IAHR, Exeter,<br />

UK, Septembar 2005.<br />

Municipal Support Programme North-East<br />

Serbia, An-EU funded Project managed by<br />

the <strong>European</strong> Agency for Reconstruction:<br />

FEASIBILITY STUDY - Pozarevac<br />

water supply system rehabilitation, VNG<br />

International, 2007<br />

139


140<br />

Turkey: city of Antalya<br />

District Metered Areas (DMAs) for the<br />

Management of <strong>Water</strong> Losses in Antalya City<br />

Mr İbrahim Palancı*, Ms Tuğba Özden*, Mr İsmail Demirel*, Mr İ.Ethem Karadirek and<br />

Prof. Habib Muhammetoglu, University of Akdeniz, Faculty of Engineering, Department<br />

of Environmental Engineering, Antalya and Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, ASAT*<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

In 2007 Antalya <strong>Water</strong> and Wastewater Administration (ASAT) of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality<br />

established a professional SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system at all wells, pumping<br />

stations, distribution reservoirs and also along the drinking water distribution network. There are more<br />

than 80 SCADA stations for the online continuous measurement and analysis of water quantity and quality.<br />

All the values measured are sent wirelessly to a control centre at ASAT for evaluation and storage.<br />

Groundwater is the only water source in Antalya City. An average of 230,000 m3 is abstracted daily from<br />

about 40 wells and pumped to the distribution reservoirs. Antalya City is in a karst region, so water lost<br />

from the system percolates down and does not appear on the surface. Consequently, pipe breakdowns or<br />

bursts are difficult to detect. Average losses of potable water in Antalya City were 60 per cent before the<br />

SCADA system was installed, compared to the average water loss rate in Turkey, which is estimated to be 50<br />

per cent. The SCADA system enabled water losses to be reduced by more than 10 per cent over a two-year<br />

period. However, ASAT aims to reduce losses to less than 25 per cent in the near future. In this context, the<br />

Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) has agreed to fund a research project<br />

to manage chlorine levels and water losses in Antalya City using Geographical Information System (GIS),<br />

hydraulic and water quality modelling, and the data from the SCADA system. The budget for this project<br />

is more than USD 1 million, and ASAT is collaborating with the Environmental Engineering Department<br />

of Akdeniz University, Antalya, which is leading the project. It started on 1 July 2008 and will run for 30<br />

months. District Metered Areas (DMAs), together with the SCADA system and records of customer water<br />

bills, are effective in determining and managing water losses and their components. A pilot study area<br />

in the Konyaalti district of Antalya City has been divided into 22 DMAs. The water bill records and flow<br />

rate measurements provided by SCADA are being used to determine water losses in each DMA. Also,<br />

minimum night flows, hourly, daily and seasonal flow rate variations are being investigated to determine<br />

the physical and apparent water losses. This paper presents the initial results of this ongoing project, with<br />

real examples and detailed figures from DMAs.


BACKGROUND<br />

<strong>Water</strong> loss from drinking water distribution<br />

networks is a common problem in many cities and<br />

countries all over the world. The average yearly<br />

water loss can be as high as 50% in many countries<br />

such as Turkey. <strong>Water</strong> losses can be divided into<br />

two major parts namely: 1) real or physical water<br />

losses, and 2) apparent water losses. Real water<br />

losses are due to the leakage from the joints of<br />

the water pipes, leakage from house connections,<br />

leakage from cracks and bursts in pipes. Leakage<br />

also occurs from the overflows of storage tanks.<br />

Apparent losses are mainly due to illegal water<br />

consumption and customer metering inaccuracy.<br />

The volume of total water losses is the difference<br />

between system input volume and volume of<br />

authorized consumption.<br />

The reduction and control of water loss is becoming<br />

even more vital in this age of increasing demand<br />

and changing weather patterns that bring droughts<br />

to a considerable number of locations in the world.<br />

Many utilities have developed, or are developing,<br />

strategies to reduce water losses to an economic or<br />

acceptable level in order to preserve valuable water<br />

resources (Tooms and Pilcher, 2006).<br />

Reducing water losses leads to many benefits such<br />

as 1) reduction in energy consumption required to<br />

abstract, treat and distribute water, 2) reduction<br />

in water losses implies reduction in the amount of<br />

chemicals needed to treat and disinfect the water, 3)<br />

reduction in water losses saves the water abstracted<br />

from water resources, 4) low water losses are<br />

associated with low possibility of pollution.<br />

A DMA is an area of a distribution system that is<br />

specifically defined (usually by the closure of valves)<br />

and in which the quantities of water entering and<br />

leaving it are metered, as depicted in Figure 1. The<br />

flow is analyzed to determine the level of leakage<br />

141<br />

within the area to enable the leakage practitioner<br />

to determine where it would be most beneficial<br />

to undertake leak location activities (Tooms, S.,<br />

Morrison, JAE., 2005).<br />

Permanently monitored DMAs are the most<br />

effective way of reducing the duration of<br />

previously unreported leakage, because continuous<br />

monitoring of night flows facilitates the rapid<br />

identification of unreported breaks, and provides<br />

the data required to make the most cost effective<br />

use of leak localization and pinpointing resources<br />

(R. Sturm, J. Thornton,2005). The SCADA system<br />

is a good tool for permanently monitoring DMAs.<br />

Figure 1. DMA (Morrison JAE et al. 2007)<br />

Minimum flow rates in residential areas usually<br />

occur between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. This is called<br />

Minimum Night Flow (MNF). Most of MNF is real<br />

losses due to leakage from the water distribution<br />

system. Thus, MNF has a good relation with real<br />

losses. Studying MNF is important to determine<br />

real losses and to study the impacts of different<br />

scenarios to reduce water leakage. Figure 2 depicts<br />

MNF.


142<br />

Figure 2. Minimum Night Flow (Morrison JAE et al. 2007)<br />

Pressure management can be defined as the practice<br />

of managing system pressures to an optimum level of<br />

service, thus ensuring sufficient and efficient supply<br />

to legal users and consumers, while eliminating or<br />

reducing pressure transients and variations, faulty<br />

level controls and reducing unnecessary pressures,<br />

all of which cause the distribution system to leak<br />

and break unnecessarily. There are many different<br />

tools that can be used when implementing pressure<br />

management, including pump controls, altitude<br />

controls and sustaining valves (Thornton J. and<br />

Lambert, A., 2006). Management of pressure is<br />

a key factor in an effective leakage management<br />

policy. This has long been recognized by the <strong>Water</strong><br />

Board and the ultimate goal is for all DMAs to<br />

be equipped with Pressure Release Valves (PRVs)<br />

to reduce pressure where possible and to control<br />

and stabilize pressure in DMAs where pressure<br />

reduction is not practicable (Charalambous, B.,<br />

2007).<br />

WATER LOSSES IN ANTALYA CITY<br />

Antalya City is a karstic region, so water lost<br />

from the distribution system percolates through<br />

it and does not appear on the surface of the<br />

ground. Consequently, it is difficult to detect pipe<br />

breakdowns or bursts. Therefore, the average water<br />

losses of potable water in Antalya City used to be<br />

60% before completing the SCADA (Supervisory<br />

Control And Data Acquisition) system in 2007. This<br />

percent was higher than the average water losses in<br />

Turkey, which were estimated at 50%.<br />

A more than 10% reduction of water losses was<br />

achieved with the help of the SCADA system<br />

during the last two years. However, Antalya <strong>Water</strong><br />

and Wastewater Authority (ASAT) plans to reduce<br />

the water losses to less than 25% in the near future.<br />

In this context, the Scientific and Technological<br />

Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) has<br />

agreed to fund a research project to manage<br />

chlorine levels and water losses in Antalya City<br />

using the Geographical Information System (GIS),<br />

hydraulic and water quality modeling, and the<br />

data sets produced by the SCADA system. The<br />

budget of the project is more than one million<br />

USD. Within the project, ASAT collaborates well<br />

with the Environmental Engineering Department<br />

of Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey which leads<br />

the project. The project was started in July 2008<br />

and will continue for 30 months.<br />

APPLICATION OF DMA IN ANTALYA CITY<br />

District Metered Areas (DMAs) in conjunction<br />

with the SCADA system and records of customer<br />

water bills are efficient in determining and<br />

managing water losses and the components of the<br />

losses. A pilot study area in Antalya City, namely<br />

the Konyaalti region, was divided into 22 DMAs.<br />

The records of water bills in addition to the flow<br />

rate measurements provided by the SCADA system<br />

are currently used to determine water losses in<br />

each DMA. Also, minimum night flows, hourly,<br />

daily and seasonal variations of flow rate are being<br />

investigated to determine the physical and apparent<br />

water losses. The research study is still going on.<br />

However, the initial results obtained from two<br />

DMAs are given below.


Figure 3. DMAs of the pilot study area (different colors represent differ-<br />

ent DMAs)<br />

RESULTS<br />

Total water loss was calculated for a small tourist<br />

area in Antalya named Beach Park DMA. Details of<br />

the study can be found elsewhere (Palanci, I, et al.<br />

2009) while Table 1 summarizes the calculations.<br />

Table 1. Monthly water revenue, water supply and water<br />

losses in Beach Park DMA<br />

First<br />

Reading<br />

Date<br />

Second<br />

Reading<br />

Date<br />

<strong>Water</strong><br />

revenue<br />

(m 3 )<br />

<strong>Water</strong><br />

supply<br />

(m 3 )<br />

<strong>Water</strong><br />

losses<br />

(m 3 )<br />

Percent<br />

of water<br />

losses<br />

(%)<br />

17.06.2008 14.07.2008 7767 11940 4173 34.95<br />

14.07.2008 15.08.2008 9373 14910 5537 37.14<br />

15.08.2008 13.09.2008 7895 11740 3845 32.75<br />

13.09.2008 16.10.2008 7179 12990 5811 44.73<br />

16.10.2008 14.11.2008 5696 10410 4714 45.28<br />

14.11.2008 17.12.2008 5333 8830 3497 39.60<br />

17.12.2008 19.01.2009 5425 11440 6015 52.58<br />

Total 48,668 82,260 33,592 40.84<br />

Also, real water losses were reduced by applying<br />

pressure management, using pressure release<br />

valves, to another DMA area called Vestel as shown<br />

in Figure 4.<br />

Figure 4. Reduction of minimum night flow as a result of reducing the<br />

pressure at Vestel DMA.<br />

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<br />

143<br />

This research sttudy was supported by the Scientific<br />

and Technological Research Council of Turkey,<br />

TÜBİTAK (Project No. 107G088), Antalya <strong>Water</strong><br />

and Wastewater Administration (ASAT) of Antalya<br />

Metropolitan Municipality and Akdeniz University,<br />

Antalya, Turkey.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

• Charalambous, B., (2007), “Effective<br />

•<br />

Pressure Management of District Metered<br />

Areas” <strong>Water</strong> Loss Conference 2007,<br />

September 2007, Romania.<br />

Morrison JAE, Tooms S and Hall G (2007)<br />

“Sustainable District Metering”, <strong>Water</strong><br />

losses 2007. September 2007,<br />

• Palancı, I, Özden,T, Demirel, I, Karadirek,<br />

I.E. and Muhammetoglu, H, Management<br />

of <strong>Water</strong> Losses Using SCADA and District<br />

Metered Areas (DMAs): Case Study of<br />

Antalya City-Turkey, <strong>Water</strong> losses 2009,<br />

Cape Town, South Africa.<br />

• R, Sturm, J, Thornton, (2005), “Proactive<br />

Leakage Management using District<br />

•<br />

Metered Areas (DMA) and Pressure<br />

Management – Is it applicable in North<br />

America?”, Leakage 2005 Conference.<br />

Thornton J. and Lambert A. (2006),


144<br />

•<br />

“Managing pressures to reduce new breaks”<br />

<strong>Water</strong> 21 IWAP, December 2006.<br />

Tooms, S., and Pilcher, R. (2006), “Practical<br />

Guidelines on Efficient <strong>Water</strong> Loss<br />

•<br />

Management”, <strong>Water</strong> Supply, August, 47.<br />

Tooms, S., Morrison JAE. (2005), “DMA<br />

Management Manual by the <strong>Water</strong> Losses<br />

Task Force: Progress”, Leakage 2005<br />

Conference.


Turkey: city of Antalya<br />

Monitoring and Management of <strong>Water</strong><br />

Distribution Network in Antalya City, using<br />

the SCADA System<br />

Mr İsmail Demirel*, Mr İbrahim Palancı*, Ms Tuğba Özden*, Mr İ.Ethem Karadirek and<br />

Prof. Habib Muhammetoglu, University of Akdeniz, Faculty of Engineering, Department<br />

of Environmental Engineering, Antalya and Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, ASAT*<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

Antalya City is one of the most important tourist centres in Turkey and is located on the Mediterranean<br />

coast. Antalya <strong>Water</strong> and Wastewater Administration (ASAT) is responsible for the provision of water<br />

and wastewater services for an area of 141,719 ha, with a population of more than 700,000 and more than<br />

300,000 subscribers (s. www.asat.gov.tr). The inhabited areas in Antalya City are located at different levels,<br />

ranging from the sea level to 250 m above sea level. The Antalya water distribution system is therefore<br />

complex, consisting of six main pressure zones. <strong>Water</strong> loss from the distribution network is currently<br />

about 50 per cent, which is similar to the overall average in Turkey.<br />

The main water sources in Antalya City are groundwater wells and springs. Groundwater is distributed to<br />

the city untreated. However, to reduce the risk of pollution during distribution, liquid chlorine in the form<br />

of sodium hypochlorite is added to maintain certain concentrations of residual chlorine throughout the<br />

network.<br />

Antalya <strong>Water</strong> and Wastewater Administration (ASAT) of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality has<br />

recently installed an efficient Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for the city’s<br />

drinking water distribution. The distribution network includes 9 pumping stations, 17 reservoirs, many<br />

deep groundwater wells and about 60 pipe network stations. SCADA also monitors water level in the<br />

reservoirs, operation of pumps in the pumping stations, pressure and flow rates in pipe network stations,<br />

positions of valves (open, closed, partially open) in addition to energy and water consumption. The<br />

system also includes security alarms at reservoirs, pumping and measuring stations. Many water quality<br />

parameters such as temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity and residual free chlorine are also measured<br />

at locations along the distribution network. The SCADA system was completed in 2007 and cost more<br />

than EUR 4 million. It has proven to be very efficient in reducing water losses, controlling water quality,<br />

reducing energy consumption and improving water services to the customers. The paper provides actual<br />

examples from the Antalya water distribution network, including photographs.<br />

145


146<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

Antalya City is one of the most important<br />

tourist centres in Turkey and is located on<br />

the Mediterranean coast. Antalya <strong>Water</strong> and<br />

Wastewater Administration (ASAT) of the Antalya<br />

Metropolitan Municipality is responsible for<br />

providing water and wastewater services for an<br />

area of 141,719 ha, with a population of more than<br />

700,000 people and more than 300,000 subscribers<br />

(see the ASAT web site at www.asat.gov.tr).<br />

The main water sources in Antalya City are<br />

groundwater wells and springs. The water abstracted<br />

is of high quality, except for relatively high levels of<br />

hardness (Çelik, E. & Muhammetoglu, H., 2008).<br />

The water is distributed to the city without any<br />

treatment. However, liquid chlorine in the form of<br />

sodium hypochlorite is added to maintain certain<br />

concentrations of residual chlorine throughout the<br />

water distribution network, thus reducing the risk<br />

of pollution during distribution of potable water<br />

(Tiryakioglu, O. et al. , 2005).<br />

The inhabited areas in Antalya City are located at<br />

different levels ranging from sea level up to 250 m<br />

above the sea level. Thus, the water distribution<br />

system is complex and consists of six main<br />

independent pressure zones (ASAT –Akdeniz U.,<br />

2008).<br />

DESCRIPTION OF THE ANTALYA SCADA SYSTEM<br />

ASAT SCADA stations are categorized as deep<br />

wells, pumping stations, distribution reservoirs<br />

and pipe network stations. The system includes<br />

nine pumping stations, 17 reservoirs, many deep<br />

wells and about 60 pipe network stations located<br />

in the drinking water network. The SCADA system<br />

also monitors water levels in the reservoirs, the<br />

operation of pumps in the pumping stations,<br />

pressure and flow rates at pipe network stations,<br />

valve positions (open, closed, partially open) as<br />

well as energy and water consumption. In addition,<br />

the system includes security alarms in reservoirs,<br />

pumping stations and measurement stations. Many<br />

water quality parameters such as temperature, pH,<br />

conductivity, turbidity and residual free chlorine<br />

are also controlled at many locations along the<br />

water distribution network. The SCADA system<br />

was completed in 2007 at a cost over four million<br />

Euros, and has proved to be very efficient in<br />

reducing water losses, controlling water quality,<br />

reducing energy consumption and improving water<br />

services to the customers.<br />

Figure 1. SCADA Control Centre<br />

All the monitoring results are displayed online<br />

and are also stored in the SCADA Control Centre<br />

shown in Figure 1. Results of the measured and


analyzed parameters are evaluated by SCADA<br />

engineers who work at the ASAT Control Center.<br />

Figure 2 is a SCADA screen shot showing the water<br />

levels in the reservoirs in addition to the conditions<br />

of the pumping stations.<br />

Figure 2. SCADA screen shot showing pumping stations (PM) and Distribution<br />

Reservoirs (DR)<br />

BENEFITS OF THE SCADA SYSTEM<br />

The SCADA system has helped with quick<br />

detection and good repair of frequent bursts in the<br />

water distribution network. Figure 3 depicts the<br />

flow rate and pressure due to pipe breakdown in the<br />

middle of August 2009. No water flow was visible<br />

on the surface due to the karstic characteristics<br />

of the area (Kaçaroglu, F., 1999), nor were any<br />

complaints received from customers regarding any<br />

water breakdown or shortage of supply. The data<br />

sets obtained from the SCADA system informed<br />

about the event by giving warning alarms. Also, the<br />

SCADA data sets assisted in detecting the location<br />

of the pipe burst by giving the amount of flow rate<br />

increase.<br />

The SCADA system has helped with quick detection and good repair of frequent bursts<br />

in the water distribution network. Figure 3 depicts the flow rate and pressure due to<br />

pipe breakdown in the middle of August 2009. No water flow was visible on the<br />

surface due to the karstic characteristics of the area (Kaçaroglu, F., 1999), nor were any<br />

complaints received from customers regarding any water breakdown or shortage of<br />

supply. The data sets obtained from the SCADA system informed about the event by<br />

giving warning alarms. Also, the SCADA data sets assisted in detecting the location of<br />

the pipe burst by giving the amount of flow rate increase.<br />

Figure 3. SCADA screen shot showing the pressure profiles (upper curve) and flow<br />

rate (lower curve) after a breakdown in one of the water distribution pipes<br />

Figure 3. SCADA screen shot showing the pressure profiles (upper<br />

curve) Monitoring and the flow water rate input (lower to the reservoirs curve) after in addition a breakdown to the water level in one has prevented of the<br />

the overflow of reservoirs and helped in detecting leakages. For example, the data sets<br />

water supplied distribution by the SCADA pipes station at Çaglayan water distribution reservoir (15,000 m 3<br />

storage capacity) showed that there was a water leakage of 100 m 3 /hour originating<br />

from a serious crack in the inlet pipe of the reservoir, as shown in Figure 4.<br />

147<br />

Monitoring the water input to the reservoirs in<br />

addition to the water level has prevented the<br />

overflow of reservoirs and helped in detecting<br />

leakages. For example, the data sets supplied by<br />

the SCADA station at Çaglayan water distribution<br />

reservoir (15,000 m3 storage capacity) showed<br />

that there was a water leakage of 100 m3 Figure 4. Crack in the inlet pipe to Çaglayan water distribution reservoir<br />

3<br />

/hour<br />

originating from a serious crack in the inlet pipe of<br />

the reservoir, as shown in Figure 4.


148<br />

Figure 4. Crack in the inlet pipe to Çaglayan water distribution reservoir<br />

Similarly, SCADA station showed that the pumped<br />

water flow rate from Bogaçay station was less than<br />

expected. This was caused by a rubber ring that had<br />

been sucked from the water network, as shown in<br />

Figure 5. Solving this problem led to an increase in<br />

the flow rate from 1180 m3 /hour to 1480 m3 /hour<br />

without increasing energy consumption.<br />

Figure 5. A rubber ring had reduced the capacity of Bogaçay pumping<br />

station<br />

The quality of Antalya drinking water is also<br />

controlled and managed by the SCADA system.<br />

According to the Turkish related standards, free<br />

residual chlorine should be within certain limits,<br />

usually between 0.1 and 0.5 mg/l as residual free<br />

chlorine (TS266, 2005). Real time measurements<br />

of residual free chlorine are taken at many points<br />

along the water distribution network. Warning<br />

alarms are given by the SCADA system if any of the<br />

levels measured exceed predetermined limits.<br />

“Gürkavak” is an important water spring that<br />

supplies Antalya with around 440 m3 /hour of<br />

drinking water. The capacity of this spring water<br />

increases considerably after rainful events because<br />

of the karstic feature of Antalya groundwater. In<br />

addition, heavy rains increase the turbidity levels<br />

of this water resource to levels exceeding the<br />

permissible limits for drinking water. When this<br />

occurs, the SCADA system automatically closes<br />

certain valves to stop the supply from this water<br />

source to Antalya City. At the same time, the<br />

SCADA system triggers an alarm to warn the water<br />

operators at ASAT about the situation.<br />

CONCLUSIONS<br />

The SCADA system of water distribution is very<br />

useful. In Antalya, the drinking water distribution<br />

system is monitored, controlled and managed<br />

by the SCADA system. This has led to increased<br />

reliability of the system, as well as reducing water<br />

losses and improving the water services to the<br />

customers cost-effectively. Using the capabilities<br />

of the SCADA system, the following was achieved<br />

in Antalya (ASAT, 2009):<br />

• average water production from the different<br />

sources was reduced from 260,000 m3 /day<br />

to 230,000 m3 /day (-11.54%)<br />

• total water losses were reduced from<br />

169,000 m3 /day to 120,750 m3 /day (-28.55%)


• total water losses were reduced from 65%<br />

to 42.5%<br />

• daily energy consumption was reduced<br />

from 208,000 kW to 138,000 kW (-33.65%)<br />

• energy consumption for water production,<br />

pumping and distribution was reduced<br />

from 0.8 kW/m3 to 0.6 kW/m3 (-25%)<br />

• energy consumed for lost water is reduced<br />

from 135,200 kW/day to 72,450 kW/day<br />

(-46.41%)<br />

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<br />

This research study was supported by the Scientific<br />

and Technological Research Council of Turkey<br />

(Project No. 107G088), Antalya <strong>Water</strong> and<br />

Wastewater Administration (ASAT) of Antalya<br />

Metropolitan Municipality, and the project fund<br />

unit of Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

• Araujo, L., Ramos, H., Coelho, S.,<br />

(2006). Pressure Control for Leakage<br />

Minimisation in <strong>Water</strong> Distribution<br />

•<br />

Systems Management, <strong>Water</strong> Resources<br />

Management, 20, Number 1, 133-149.<br />

ASAT & Akdeniz U. (2008), Modelling<br />

Chlorine Levels in Antalya <strong>Water</strong><br />

Distribution Network using SCADA & GIS,<br />

The Scientific and Technological Research<br />

Council of Turkey, Project Proposal,<br />

Project No. 107G088.<br />

• ASAT (2009), Progress Report of<br />

•<br />

SCADA Center for 2009, ASAT, Antalya<br />

Metropolitan Municipality.<br />

Çelik, E and Muhammetoglu H. (2008),<br />

Improving public perception of tap water<br />

in Antalya City – Turkey, Journal of <strong>Water</strong><br />

Supply: Research and Technology – AQUA,<br />

57, Issue: 2, 109-113.<br />

149<br />

• Kaçaroglu, F. Review of Groundwater<br />

Pollution and Protection in Karst Areas,<br />

<strong>Water</strong>, Air, & Soil Pollution, 113, Numbers<br />

1-4, 337-356, 1999.<br />

• Marunga A., Hoko Z., Kaseke E., (2006),<br />

Pressure management as a leakage<br />

reduction and water demand management<br />

tool: The case of the City of Mutare-<br />

Zimbabwe, Physics and Chemistry of the<br />

Earth, 31, Issue 15-16, 763- 770.<br />

• Tiryakioglu, O., Muhammetoglu, A.,<br />

•<br />

Muhammetoglu, H., Soyupak, S., (2005).<br />

Modeling chlorine decay in drinking<br />

water distribution network: Case Study of<br />

Antalya – Turkey, Fresenius Environmental<br />

Bulletin, 14, No.10, 907-912.<br />

TS266 (2005), Turkish Standards for <strong>Water</strong><br />

intended for human consumption, Turkish<br />

Standard Institute, ICS 13.060.20.


Experts and institutions<br />

151


DWA, Germany<br />

The German experience to investigate sewer<br />

networks<br />

Mr Johannes Lohaus, General Manager, German <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> for <strong>Water</strong>, Wastewater<br />

and Waste<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

Systematic construction of a sewer system in Germany began as a result of the emerging industrial<br />

revolution and the rapid growth of cities in the 19th century. In 1842, Hamburg was the first German city<br />

to build a systematic sewer network (“Sielnetz”), which was designed by the English engineer William<br />

Lindley. In 1867, the Free City of Frankfurt followed. Today, 96 per cent of the country’s population are<br />

connected to a public sewer system, and the public network of combined wastewater and surface water<br />

sewers is estimated to have a length of over 500,000 km.<br />

As the sewer systems aged, their maintenance and the rehabilitation of older sewer networks became<br />

an issue. In 1984, DWA established its working group “Rehabilitation and Replacement of Sewers and<br />

Drains”, and published the advisory leaflet ATV M 143 Inspection, Repair, Rehabilitation and Replacement<br />

of Sewers and Drains, Part 1: Principles. In 1991, Part 2: Optical Inspection, was printed, which laid the<br />

down principles for the systematic assessment of the sewer networks that have been adopted by almost<br />

every city in Germany.<br />

In 1984, DWA began a survey among local authorities concerning the condition of their sewer networks,<br />

and ascertained that only a small fraction of the public sewer system had been inspected. Meanwhile, the<br />

condition of more than 80 per cent of the public sewer network has been assessed and documented.<br />

One important outcome of the DWA survey was that 20 per cent of all the sewer sections show signs<br />

of damage that needs to be repaired in the short or medium term. The presentation will describe which<br />

methods will be used to rehabilitate the German sewer system.<br />

As the DWA-advisory leaflet Rehabilitation Strategies says, the rehabilitation of the sewer system represents<br />

a task for generations to come, and has become one of Germany’s major wastewater engineering challenges.<br />

153


154<br />

DWA, Germany<br />

Creating a concept of rehabilitation of a pipe<br />

system<br />

Mr Jörg Otterbach, German <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> for <strong>Water</strong>, Wastewater and Waste<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

A pipe system, like a drainage or sewage system, has three successive functions:<br />

• collection of the water inputs<br />

• transport of these inputs within the system<br />

• treatment of the water prior to discharge from the system.<br />

In order to fulfil these functions adequately, investigations are required such as a review of exiting<br />

information, as well as hydraulic, environmental, structural and operational investigations. These must<br />

be done carefully because this information will be used as a basis for the entire rehabilitation concept.<br />

Appraisal and classification of the information involves comparing the performance of the system against<br />

the performance requirements. The result is a list of the main problems within the pipe system.<br />

The next step is to choose a rehabilitation method. There are three main methods: repair, renovation and<br />

replacement. Repair means rehabilitation of a single location; renovation is the rehabilitation of the pipeline<br />

with retention of the existing pipe; replacement involves removing/destroying the old pipe. The engineer<br />

assesses the method with his/her knowledge of the rehabilitation methods and the boundary conditions.<br />

The choice of rehabilitation method is an important step in the process, because it will determine the<br />

investments required for many years.<br />

Combining the results of the rehabilitation plan for each single pipeline leads to a concept for the system as<br />

a whole. By prioritizing the planned building measures and establishing a time schedule for the execution<br />

of the work, a complete overview of the necessary investments for the coming years is obtained.


INTRODUCTION<br />

Drain and sewer systems provide a service to the<br />

community, which can be briefly described as:<br />

• fast removal of wastewater from premises<br />

for reasons of public health and hygiene;<br />

• prevention of flooding in urban areas;<br />

• protection of the aquatic environment. [1]<br />

A pipe system such as a drain and sewer system has<br />

three successive functions:<br />

• collection of the water input<br />

• transport of this input within the system<br />

• treatment of the water prior to discharge<br />

from the system.<br />

INVESTIGATION<br />

To fulfil the functions of a sewer system it is<br />

necessary to make investigations such as reviewing<br />

exiting information, hydraulic, environmental,<br />

structural and operational investigation. Damaged,<br />

defective or hydraulically overloaded drains and<br />

sewers represent a potential hazard through<br />

flooding and collapses, and through pollution<br />

of groundwater, soil and watercourses. It is very<br />

important to make these investigations carefully,<br />

because the whole concept of the rehabilitation is<br />

based on this information.<br />

The collection and review of all available relevant<br />

information about the sewer system should<br />

be carried out and is the basis from which all<br />

other activities are subsequently planned. This<br />

information should include historical records.<br />

[1] Examples are: location, materials and size of<br />

drains and sewers including outfalls (inventory);<br />

the position, depth and levels of manholes and the<br />

levels of connections to the manholes; the positions<br />

155<br />

of connections to drains and sewers; groundwater<br />

levels and velocities.<br />

Testing and inspection procedures for hydraulic<br />

investigations can be required in order to ensure<br />

an adequate evaluation of flows (dry weather<br />

and storm), infiltration, exfiltration and wrong<br />

connections. Surveys can include precipitation<br />

and flow measurements, identification of wrong<br />

connections and groundwater measurements.<br />

The location of trade effluent sources shall be<br />

identified and the nature, quality, quantity and the<br />

potential environmental hazards reviewed.<br />

The recording of the actual condition of drain<br />

and sewer systems can be carried out directly by<br />

walking through or indirectly with the aid of a<br />

closed circuit television (CCTV) system. The drain<br />

and sewer system should be cleaned as necessary<br />

to make it possible to record and assess the actual<br />

condition. During the survey the system should be<br />

kept free from wastewater as far as necessary. [1]<br />

The result is a list of the main problems of the<br />

system investigated.<br />

ASSESSMENT<br />

The results of the structural investigations can<br />

also be relevant to the assessment of the hydraulic<br />

performance and environmental impact. Appraisal<br />

and classification of the investigations (in Germany<br />

there are five classes for structural hazards) means<br />

contrasting the performance of the system against<br />

the performance requirements.


156<br />

Figure 1: The assessment [1]<br />

The next step is choosing a method of rehabilitation.<br />

There are three main methods of rehabilitation:<br />

repair, renovation and replacement. Repair means<br />

a rehabilitation of a single location, renovation is<br />

the rehabilitation of the pipeline with retention of<br />

the existing pipe, and replacement is rehabilitation<br />

with destruction of the old pipe. An engineer or a<br />

rehabilitation specialist assesses the method, taking<br />

into account the available rehabilitation methods<br />

and the boundary conditions.<br />

Figure 2: Decision process for selection of structural solutions [1]<br />

The assessment of the rehabilitation method is<br />

an important step in the process, because it will<br />

determine the investments required for many years<br />

to come.<br />

DEVELOPING THE PLAN<br />

Collecting the results of the planning of<br />

rehabilitation for a single pipeline provides a<br />

concept for the whole system. It is collecting by<br />

methods or localisation. For example there are<br />

building projects of a whole street or one special<br />

method such as relining. The priority of each<br />

building project is determined and the proposed<br />

works include costing and phasing.<br />

This results in a final list with the required<br />

investments for the coming years. However, this is


not a static list; because it needs to be updated as<br />

projects are implemented.<br />

RESULT<br />

The performance requirements for the system<br />

should be updated following each specific<br />

maintenance operation. In any case the performance<br />

requirements shall be as close as possible to, or<br />

better than, the performance requirements of the<br />

existing system.<br />

In principle the performance requirements for a<br />

rehabilitated system should be the same as those<br />

for a new system.<br />

157


158<br />

EWA<br />

Tools for capacity development – the<br />

experience of the <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />

Ms Boryana Dimitrova, Management Assistant, <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />

ABSTRACT<br />

The <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> (EWA) is an independent non-governmental and non-profit organisation<br />

promoting the sustainable and improved management of the total water cycle and hence the environment<br />

as a whole. It is one of the major professional associations in Europe that covers the whole water cycle. With<br />

member associations from nearly all <strong>European</strong> countries, today, EWA consists of 25 <strong>European</strong> leading<br />

professional organisations in their respective countries, each representing professionals and technicians<br />

for wastewater and water utilities, academics, consultants and contractors as well as a growing number<br />

of corporate member firms and enterprises. EWA thus represents about 50,000 professional individuals<br />

working in the broad field of water and environmental management.<br />

The objective of EWA is to advance the common interests of members and become their principal pan-<br />

<strong>European</strong> technical and scientific forum, influential with the <strong>European</strong> Commission in the sustainable<br />

management of water assets and the environment. One of the major benefits for the EWA members is that<br />

the association facilitates the exchange of knowledge and experience by providing a network of experts<br />

and opportunities for discussion of key technical and policy issues – meetings, workshops, conferences<br />

and seminars.<br />

Capacity development is covered by almost all EWA members in different aspects. They are offering a wide<br />

spectrum of training workshops and seminars, in addition to certified courses, vocational training etc.


UN-HABITAT<br />

Lessons Learned from Regional <strong>Water</strong> Loss<br />

Reduction Capacity Building Programmes<br />

and their Implications for <strong>Water</strong> Operators’<br />

Partnerships<br />

Ms Julie Perkins, Programme Officer, United Nations Human Settlement Programme<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

UN-HABITAT, the UN’s urban agency, has long been concerned with helping urban water utilities provide<br />

sustainable, efficient and affordable access to clean water and basic sanitation to burgeoning populations.<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Demand Management, and especially water loss reduction, is paramount to these goals, and water<br />

loss reduction has been a pillar of UN-HABITAT’s regional activities in Africa, Asia and Latin America<br />

since 1999.<br />

The presentation will highlight achievements and lessons learned from two capacity building initiatives<br />

in Africa, and discuss ongoing and future activities to control water losses through capacity building<br />

undertaken in the context of the Global <strong>Water</strong> Operators’ Partnerships Alliance. The <strong>Water</strong> for African<br />

Cities Programme, launched in 1999, aims to strengthen the capacity of cities to respond to the urban<br />

water and sanitation crisis. It is being implemented in 17 African cities and consists of city level pilots and<br />

regional activities that bring together city-level actors from across the continent. The regional training and<br />

capacity building programme resulted in sizeable water loss reduction in the target cities. The Lake Victoria<br />

Programme addresses the water and sanitation needs particularly of the poor in the secondary towns<br />

around Lake Victoria. A “champion” utility in the region took the lead in a fast-track capacity building<br />

programme for five small utilities. A priority was reducing unaccounted-for-water by providing training<br />

and assistance in water audits, non-revenue water issues, and water demand management, including the<br />

provision of hands-on assistance in operationalizing leak detection and repair systems. This programme<br />

was an important precursor to greater water loss reduction investments.<br />

The Global <strong>Water</strong> Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) is a global network of partners with a<br />

common commitment to helping water utilities support one another though partnerships. Its capacity<br />

building efforts aim to develop the skills of water operators to share their know-how with other utilities.<br />

GWOPA draws primarily on utilities as its source of expertise. It is working to implement and develop<br />

effective models for skill building centred round water operators.<br />

159


160<br />

i2O <strong>Water</strong>, United Kingdom<br />

Pressure Management Mechanics –<br />

Understanding the relationships between<br />

pressure and water loss.<br />

Mr Stuart Trow, Consultant and Non-Executive Director, i2O <strong>Water</strong> Ltd<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

Pressure management is fundamental to a well organised water loss reduction strategy and has been used<br />

in water distribution system engineering for many years. However, it is only in the past 10 to 15 years that<br />

there have been a number of advancements in the understanding of the mechanics of pressure management<br />

and the relationship between pressure and the factors which drive water loss.<br />

The paper describes the relationships between pressure and:<br />

• Leakage flow rate<br />

• Burst frequency and the natural rate of rise of leakage<br />

• Customer consumption<br />

• Economic intervention frequency<br />

• Infrastructure life expectancy.<br />

The paper also summarises the benefits to be gained from pressure management and considers the options<br />

for implementing it. It includes practical examples and real data to support the latest theories, demonstrates<br />

the importance of pressure management and provides guidance on the analytical techniques used to predict<br />

the impact of pressure management schemes as part of a well constructed pressure management strategy.


INTRODUCTION:<br />

Pressure management is a fundamental part of<br />

a well organized water loss reduction strategy. It<br />

has been practised in water distribution system<br />

engineering for many years and the benefits are<br />

well understood:<br />

• It reduces burst frequency and so reduces<br />

the natural rate of rise of leakage (NRR)<br />

• As a result it extends the economic period<br />

between ALC interventions and changes<br />

the economic level of leakage (ELL)<br />

• Reduced burst frequency will extend the<br />

life of network assets<br />

• It reduces the flow rate from all existing<br />

leakage paths – both bursts and background<br />

leaks<br />

• It reduces the size of expanding leakage<br />

paths<br />

• It can reduce certain types of customer use<br />

(open tap use)<br />

• It can give benefits to customers if managed<br />

correctly by stabilising pressures at levels<br />

above the minimum acceptable<br />

Where pressure management has been<br />

implemented organisations have had to deal with<br />

possible disadvantages:<br />

• Reducing pressure may make leaks more<br />

difficult to detect<br />

• Customers may notice reduced pressure<br />

• Reservoirs may not fill at night<br />

• Fire flows may be affected<br />

• Valves and zone boundaries have to be<br />

monitored and maintained<br />

• There is a potential loss of revenue from<br />

pressure related use<br />

161<br />

Therefore, it is important to understand the<br />

underlying mechanics of pressure management.<br />

However, it is only in the past 10 to 15 years, due<br />

largely to the work of the IWA <strong>Water</strong> Loss Task<br />

Force (WLTF), that there have been a number<br />

of advancements in our understanding of the<br />

relationships between pressure and the factors<br />

which drive water loss and elements of water use.<br />

This paper describes the relationships between<br />

pressure and leakage flow rate, burst frequency<br />

and the natural rate of rise of leakage, customer<br />

consumption, economic intervention frequency,<br />

and infrastructure life expectancy.<br />

LEAKAGE FLOW RATE:<br />

The flow rate from any particular leak is proportional<br />

to the pressure in the system. Most hydraulics text<br />

books refer to the relationship between pressure<br />

and the flow through an orifice. Splits and holes<br />

in pressurized pipes causing leakage will act as<br />

orifices. The relationship is stated as:<br />

V = C d √2gP where:<br />

• V is the velocity of water through the orifice<br />

in m/sec<br />

• Cd is a discharge coefficient. It is a factor<br />

less than 1 which does not have dimensions<br />

• P is the pressure in metres head<br />

• g is the gravitational constant in m/sec2<br />

So, for a hole of a given area, the flow rate in m3 /<br />

sec varies with the square root of the pressure, i.e.<br />

leakage is proportional to P 0.5 . Current practice<br />

is to relate leakage to P to the power of N1. In this<br />

case N1 = 0.5. This relationship can be proved on<br />

laboratory test rigs. However, when measurements<br />

are taken from district meter areas, the relationship<br />

tends to be more pronounced. The reduction in<br />

leakage from pressure reduction is more than<br />

predicted from the theoretical relationship as<br />

shown in Figure 1.


162<br />

Country Number of<br />

Sectors Tested of N1<br />

Mean Value Range of<br />

of N1 value<br />

UK (TR154) 17 1.13 0.70 to 1.68<br />

JAPAN(1979) 20 1.15 0.63 to 2.12<br />

BRAZIL (1998) 13 1.15 0.52 to 2.79<br />

UK (2003) 75 1.01 0.36 to 2.95<br />

CYPRUS (2005) 15 1.47 0.64 to 2.83<br />

Sources of Data: Technical Report R154, <strong>Water</strong> Research Centre, Nov 1980<br />

OGURA, Japanese <strong>Water</strong> Works <strong>Association</strong> Journal, May 1981<br />

BBL Ltda Brazil, private communication<br />

UKWIR Report 03/WM/08<br />

Charalamous B, Leakage 2005 paper<br />

Figure 1 – N1 values for 140 sectors from 5 countries<br />

Attempts have been made to fit an equation to the<br />

empirical data. The results are similar, with some<br />

variations depending on the way in which the tests<br />

were conducted, and whether the relationship is<br />

between pressure and leakage, or pressure and flow<br />

or night flow. However, while the aggregation of<br />

tests in individual districts tends to be similar, with<br />

the average N1 value in Table 1 being 1.11, there<br />

are major differences between the individual tests<br />

themselves. Analysis shows that the power factor<br />

(N1) can vary between values of about 0.5 and<br />

values over 2. This is difficult to explain from the<br />

test rig results.<br />

In 1994, a new theory was proposed. As well as the<br />

flow velocity being a function of pressure, perhaps<br />

the area of the orifice varied with pressure in<br />

some situations. This would explain the variability<br />

between one district and another. A district with<br />

leakage predominantly from fixed area holes (e.g.<br />

corrosion pin holes in metal pipes) would tend to<br />

have N1 values of about 0.5. In districts where the<br />

holes vary in size proportionately with pressure the<br />

N1 value will tend towards 1.5 (the area varies with<br />

P1 , and the velocity varies with P0.5 , so together<br />

the flow rate varies to P1.5 ). Values greater than<br />

1.5 are explained by the existence of leakage paths<br />

which increase in size in two directions, so they<br />

vary with P2 .<br />

Ratio of Leakage Rates L 1/L o<br />

1.40<br />

1.20<br />

1.00<br />

0.80<br />

0.60<br />

0.40<br />

0.20<br />

Relationships between Pressure (P) and Leakage Rate (L):<br />

N1<br />

L1/Lo = (P1/Po) 0.00<br />

0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 0.90 1.00 1.10 1.20<br />

Ratio of Pressures P1/Po Fig 2 – Relationship between pressure and leakage flow rate<br />

N1 = 0.50<br />

N1 = 1.00<br />

N1 = 1.15<br />

N1 = 1.50<br />

N1 = 2.50<br />

When assessing the cost-benefit of pressure<br />

management, it is clearly important to understand<br />

the effectiveness of the proposed schemes in the<br />

area under consideration. However, due to the<br />

variability this can be difficult. Therefore, when<br />

considering pressure management as a general<br />

policy or for a relatively large supply zone, it is<br />

reasonable to assume a linear relationship between<br />

pressure and leakage flow rate (i.e. N1 =1). This<br />

is due to the aggregation. When assessing the<br />

effectiveness of pressure reduction in an individual<br />

district, an assessment can be made of the N value<br />

from two factors, the predominant type of mains,<br />

and the initial leakage level.<br />

In systems which are comprised completely of<br />

plastic mains and service pipes, then the N1 value<br />

will tend towards 1.5, regardless of the level of<br />

leakage. In metal pipe systems, the N1 value is a<br />

little over 1 for systems with very low leakage, with<br />

normal N1 value between 0.75 and 1. As leakage<br />

increases due to the predominance of bursts,<br />

rather than background leakage, the N1 value tends<br />

toward 0.5. If there is insufficient information to<br />

make such an assessment, then an average of 1.15<br />

is used widely.<br />

If the pressure–leakage relationship is critical to<br />

the accuracy of the result of some other exercise,<br />

then a test should be made in the specific district


to alter the pressure and measure the impact on<br />

leakage level based on the nightflow data. The flow<br />

and pressure data can be analysed to determine the<br />

N1 value. This approach may be required in control<br />

areas used to determine the policy on pressure and<br />

leakage management, or in districts used to assess<br />

per capita use in un-measured properties.<br />

BURST FREqUENCY AND THE NATURAL RATE OF<br />

RISE OF LEAKAGE:<br />

The relationship between pressure and burst<br />

frequency has not been well understood until the<br />

past 3 years when data has been tested against a<br />

new theory which considers the impact of all critical<br />

factors. Data from one UK water supply company<br />

from the 1990s (Fig. 3) shows the burst frequency<br />

in a number of DMAs including one showing<br />

before and after pressure reduction. The data set is<br />

limited in size, but it indicates that a unit reduction<br />

in pressure will give a 3 or 4 times reduction in<br />

burst frequency, e.g. reducing pressure from 80m<br />

to 40m (a 2:1 reduction) will reduce the burst rate<br />

from 7 bursts per 100 properties per year to only 1.<br />

Of course there are many other factors which affect<br />

the burst frequency of mains including weather<br />

conditions, pressure surges, accidental damage,<br />

ground movement, traffic loading and corrosion.<br />

Therefore, it is difficult to obtain good quality data<br />

to prove the strength of the relationship. Burst<br />

frequencies will be more reliable in larger areas,<br />

e.g. supply zone, but at that scale it is more difficult<br />

to make significant changes in pressure. Therefore<br />

most data is available at DMA level, where the burst<br />

rate is more erratic, and so it may take several years<br />

to determine the true benefits.<br />

Bursts per 1000 properties<br />

per year<br />

Mains bursts per 1000 km per<br />

year<br />

Figures 3 and 4 – Relationship between Average zone Night pressure<br />

(ANzP) and burst frequency<br />

163<br />

Before reduction After reduction<br />

12<br />

10<br />

8<br />

6<br />

4<br />

2<br />

0<br />

0 50 100 150<br />

Average Zone Night Pressure (metres)<br />

400<br />

300<br />

200<br />

100<br />

0<br />

0 50 100 150<br />

Average zone night pressure (AZNP)<br />

(Metres)<br />

Data from another UK water company (Fig 4),<br />

expressed in terms of bursts / 1000 km / year shows<br />

a similar relationship, with approximately a 4:1<br />

factor.<br />

Further UK research on large data sets from 1996 to<br />

2003 proved inconclusive. Case studies were used<br />

by WLTF (2000 to 2004) to stimulate collection<br />

and analysis of good repairs data ‘before’ and ‘after’<br />

pressure management. Many case studies showed<br />

remarkable reductions in burst frequencies after<br />

pressure management. The intention in 2005 had<br />

been to fit a relationship similar to that for pressure<br />

to leakage flow rate, this time using an N2 value.<br />

However, the latest view is that the N2 approach<br />

is now recognised as inappropriate. The WLTF<br />

Pressure Management Team are now using an<br />

alternative conceptual approach known as “the<br />

straw that breaks the camel’s back”


164<br />

Figure 5 – Latest conceptual approach to pressure vs failure rate<br />

The theory (Fig. 5) states that if initial burst<br />

frequency ratio is ‘low’, then the % reduction in<br />

bursts is expected to be zero or very small. If initial<br />

burst frequency ratio is ‘high’, % reduction in bursts<br />

is expected to be significant. Separate predictions<br />

are possible for mains, and service connections<br />

This latest concept has so far been tested on data<br />

from 12 countries as shown in Figure 6. There<br />

are separate predictions for mains, and service<br />

connections. The initial burst frequencies are<br />

expressed as a multiple of burst frequencies used<br />

in the Unavoidable Annual Real Losses (UARL)<br />

formula used to calculate ILI.<br />

• 13 mains bursts/100 km mains/year<br />

• 3 service bursts/1000 conns/year (main to<br />

property line)<br />

• 13 bursts/100 km of pipe/year (after<br />

property line)<br />

On average for the 112 case studies, the % reduction<br />

in repairs was 1.4 times the % reduction in Pmax<br />

(the maximum pressure). The range was between<br />

0.7 times and 2.8 times. From this, zone specific<br />

forecasts can now be made.<br />

Number of Assessed Average % Average<br />

Country<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Utility or<br />

System<br />

Pressure<br />

Managed<br />

Sectors in<br />

initial<br />

maximum<br />

pressure<br />

reduction %<br />

Mains (M) or<br />

in reduction<br />

Services (S)<br />

maximum in new<br />

study (metres) pressure breaks<br />

Brisbane 1 100 35% 28% M,S<br />

Australia Gold Coast 10 60-90 50%<br />

60%<br />

70%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

Yarra Valley 4 100 30% 28% M<br />

Bahamas New Providence 7 39 34% 40% M,S<br />

Bosnia<br />

Herzegovin<br />

Gracanica 3 50 20%<br />

59%<br />

72%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

Caesb<br />

2<br />

70 33%<br />

58%<br />

24%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

Sabesp ROP 1 40 30% 38% M<br />

Sabesp MO 1<br />

58 65%<br />

80%<br />

29%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

Brazil<br />

Sabesp MS 1<br />

23 30%<br />

64%<br />

64%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

SANASA 1<br />

50 70%<br />

50%<br />

50%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

Sanepar 7<br />

45 30%<br />

30%<br />

70%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

Canada Halifax<br />

1 56 18%<br />

23%<br />

23%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

Colombia<br />

Armenia<br />

Palmira<br />

25<br />

5<br />

100<br />

80<br />

33%<br />

75%<br />

50%<br />

50%<br />

94%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

M,S<br />

Bogotá 2 55 30% 31% S<br />

Cyprus Lemesos 7 52.5 32%<br />

45%<br />

40%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

England<br />

Bristol <strong>Water</strong><br />

United Utilities<br />

21<br />

10<br />

62<br />

47.6<br />

39%<br />

32%<br />

25%<br />

45%<br />

72%<br />

75%<br />

M<br />

S<br />

M<br />

S<br />

Italy<br />

Torino<br />

Umbra<br />

1<br />

1<br />

69<br />

130<br />

10%<br />

39%<br />

45%<br />

71%<br />

M,S<br />

M,S<br />

USA American <strong>Water</strong> 1 199 36% 50% M<br />

Total number of systems 112<br />

Maximum 199 75% 94% All data<br />

Minimum 23 10% 23% All data<br />

Median 57 33.0% 50.0% All data<br />

Average 71 38.0% 52.5% M&S together<br />

Average 36.5% 48.8% Mains only<br />

Average 37.1% 49.5% Services only<br />

Figure 6 – Results of case studies showing reduction in burst frequency<br />

after pressure reduction<br />

CUSTOMER CONSUMPTION:<br />

Recent data shows that there is a relationship<br />

between pressure and customer use, and that the<br />

impact of pressure reduction can be assessed as a<br />

water efficiency measure. Any consumption from<br />

devices connected direct to mains pressure will give<br />

a reduced flow rate at reduced pressure. Examples<br />

include taps, showers, and hose pipes. WCs and<br />

urinals, which use a flush valve rather than a cistern<br />

will show a reduced consumption. With un-vented<br />

boiler water systems driven by mains pressure,<br />

the effect will be experienced on the hot water<br />

system as well as the cold water. It is thought that<br />

the tendency to leave the tap running for longer at<br />

lower flow rate is more than compensated by the<br />

reduced flow rate, so that the overall volume used<br />

is lower.


If the device is connected to a header cistern<br />

(perhaps in the loft space) there will be no impact<br />

from pressure reduction. Therefore, it is important<br />

to understand the predominant type of plumbing<br />

system in an area when predicting the effect of<br />

pressure management on consumption.<br />

Current thinking is that Consumption rate C varies<br />

with average Pressure P to the exponent N3, so that<br />

for prediction purposes in distribution systems:<br />

C1/C0 = (P1/P0)N3<br />

Therefore, it is the ratio of pressures, and the N3<br />

exponent, that are the key parameters. It is suggested<br />

that different N3 exponents should be used for inhouse<br />

and external consumption (irrigation etc.).<br />

Test data are available from UK, Australia and<br />

South Africa which reinforce this theory. For inhouse<br />

consumption the N3 exponent suggested<br />

guideline range is 0 to 0.2, average 0.1. If customers<br />

have storage tanks, then the ‘in-house’ exponent =<br />

0. For ‘Outside’ consumption the N3 exponent in<br />

Australian tests was confirmed as 0.5 for sprinklers,<br />

but 0.75 for seepage hoses. The suggested range is<br />

0.4 to 0.6, average 0.5.<br />

ECONOMIC INTERVENTION FREqUENCY:<br />

Changing pressure will change the economic<br />

frequency between active leakage control exercises<br />

to find and fix unreported bursts. The methodology<br />

is shown in Figure 7. After pressure management,<br />

background leakage will reduce, the rate of rise of<br />

unreported leakage will reduce, and the number of<br />

reported bursts and leaks will decrease. So, the ELL<br />

will tend to reduce as a result.<br />

Where performance on the management of real<br />

losses is being monitored by reference to the ILI<br />

(Infrastructure Leakage Index) it is important to<br />

165<br />

understand that pressure reduction will reduce<br />

real loss, but it may not reduce ILI. Therefore, a<br />

combined approach of using ILI with a new index,<br />

the PMI, is recommended.<br />

Figure 7 – Real loss before and after pressure management<br />

INFRASTRUCTURE LIFE ExPECTANCY:<br />

Effective pressure management will extend the life<br />

of underground assets and defer the investment<br />

involved in replacing mains and services. Normal<br />

practice is to replace mains and services when<br />

the failure rate exceeds a set threshold at which<br />

customer service is being interrupted too often to<br />

carry out repair works. By reducing pressure and<br />

so reducing failure rate, the life of the assets can be<br />

extended as shown schematically in Figure 8.<br />

Failure rate<br />

Increase in<br />

asset life<br />

Figure 8 – Extension of asset life by pressure reduction<br />

Reduction in<br />

pressure<br />

Age - years


166<br />

CONCLUSION:<br />

Our understanding of pressure management in<br />

water distribution systems has been extended<br />

significantly in recent years, allowing us to make<br />

better estimates of the savings and other benefits<br />

to be obtained. In addition, pressure management<br />

technology has advanced to the point where we<br />

can incorporate intelligence into the system to<br />

maintain pressures at optimum levels, in order to<br />

maximise the cost / benefit ratio, and allow pressure<br />

management to be the foundation for water loss<br />

reduction.<br />

REFERENCES:<br />

• Losses in <strong>Water</strong> Distribution<br />

Networks. A Practitioner’s Guide to<br />

Assessment, Monitoring and Control<br />

•<br />

Author(s): M Farley, S Trow. Publication<br />

Date: 01 Apr 2003 • ISBN: 9781900222112<br />

Trow S.W. ‘Development of a Pressure<br />

Management Index’. <strong>Water</strong> Loss 2009.<br />

Cape Town<br />

• Lambert AO and McKenzie RD (2002)<br />

‘Practical experience of using the<br />

infrastructure leakage index’, paper<br />

•<br />

presented at the IWA Conference ‘Leakage<br />

Management – a Practical Approach’<br />

Cyprus, November<br />

Trow SW, (2007) ‘Alternative Approaches<br />

to Setting Leakage Targets’ IWA <strong>Water</strong><br />

Loss 2007, Bucharest, September<br />

• Fantozzi, M and Lambert AO. (2007)<br />

‘Including the Effects of Pressure<br />

•<br />

Management in Calculations of Short Run<br />

Economic Leakage Levels’. IWA <strong>Water</strong> Loss<br />

2007 Bucharest<br />

Thornton and Lambert. <strong>Water</strong> 21 article.


i2O <strong>Water</strong>, United Kingdom<br />

Intelligent Pressure Management – A new<br />

development for monitoring and control of<br />

water distribution systems<br />

Mr Stuart Trow, Consultant and Non-Executive Director, i2O <strong>Water</strong> Ltd<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

Pressure management is a key element in reducing losses in water distribution systems. Flow modulation<br />

has been shown to provide added benefits in comparison to fixed outlet pressure reducing valves. However,<br />

the additional benefits do not always cover the extra cost and operational issues.<br />

• The paper describes a new system for controlling pressure reducing valves which represents a<br />

quantum leap from current technologies. It includes:<br />

• A new pilot valve system which is unlike anything currently available<br />

• A communications network which uses data from the specific installation together with a database<br />

of information from all installations<br />

• A mathematical algorithm which self learns the relationships between flow and pressure in a district<br />

The paper gives details of the development of the system from the initial user specification, through the<br />

technical development of the mechanical components, hard- and software to the field installations. The<br />

paper also highlights the benefits from a water utility perspective and includes case study results.<br />

167


168<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

Pressure management is recognised as a key<br />

element of a strategy for reducing water losses<br />

in water distribution systems. Flow modulation<br />

has been shown to provide added benefits in<br />

comparison to fixed outlet pressure reducing<br />

valves. However, the additional benefits do not<br />

always cover the extra cost and operational issues.<br />

This paper describes an intelligent form of pressure<br />

management developed by i2o <strong>Water</strong> Limited with<br />

support from Severn Trent <strong>Water</strong>. The benefits of<br />

the system are outlined, which include:<br />

• Reduced losses as compared with other<br />

forms of pressure management<br />

• More stable pressure regime producing<br />

fewer bursts<br />

• Better customer service<br />

• Better information to allow more efficient<br />

management of assets<br />

SEVERN TRENT WATER<br />

Severn Trent <strong>Water</strong> is the second largest water<br />

company in England and Wales supplying eight<br />

million customers. It has 20 major water treatment<br />

plants and its network comprises 43,000 km of<br />

distribution mains and 2,800 DMAs. In England<br />

and Wales, water companies are required to<br />

meet statutory leakage targets set by the industry<br />

regulator OFWAT. However, in each of the two<br />

years to April 2006 and April 2007, Severn Trent<br />

missed their leakage target. It was imperative for<br />

the company not to miss any further targets to<br />

avoid risking serious financial penalties.<br />

A programme was successfully introduced which<br />

brought leakage down from 524MLD in the year<br />

to April 2007 to 491MLD in the following year<br />

by improved operational management and large<br />

increases in find and fix activity. However, this<br />

has also resulted in an increase in the company’s<br />

operating expenses. Over the next five years, Severn<br />

Trent is aiming for further reductions in leakage<br />

to 453MLD and the challenge is to achieve these<br />

demanding targets without driving up operating<br />

expenses further.<br />

Severn Trent believes that more effective pressure<br />

management can help to achieve the leakage targets<br />

in a more cost effective manner. However, this<br />

requires new methods and new technology. This<br />

was why, in 2005, Severn Trent agreed to collaborate<br />

with the start-up company i2O <strong>Water</strong> to help them<br />

to develop and test their new technology.<br />

Severn Trent already uses pressure management<br />

extensively and has installed over 2,800 PRVs,<br />

almost all of which have fixed outlets, currently<br />

regarded as basic pressure management. The fixed<br />

outlet PRVs have brought down average pressures<br />

in the DMAs and have had a significant impact on<br />

leakage and burst rates. However, it is not possible<br />

to achieve an optimal solution with fixed outlet<br />

PRVs for the following reasons:<br />

1. The PRVs have to be set high enough so<br />

that, during maximum demand in the<br />

DMA when there is maximum head-loss<br />

in the network, all customers get adequate<br />

pressure. At other times of day the PRV<br />

output pressures are too high.<br />

2. The PRV outlet pressures are normally<br />

checked less than once every three years as<br />

this is a laborious process requiring logging<br />

of the DMA. Therefore, a high factor of<br />

safety is needed in the setting to allow for<br />

changes to levels of demand.<br />

3. Local operatives or technicians may<br />

increase the output pressures of a PRV in<br />

order to solve a particular local problem<br />

or issue. Even when the issue is solved, the<br />

PRV pressure may not be restored to its


correct setting.<br />

All the above issues are leading to higher average<br />

pressures in the DMAs than necessary to maintain<br />

satisfactory customer service. There was previously<br />

no technology available to deal with the second two<br />

issues. However, there are two common techniques<br />

for addressing the first issue of varying flow<br />

related to head-loss in the DMA. These are time<br />

modulation and flow modulation, known currently<br />

as advanced pressure management.<br />

Time modulation:<br />

This is a common technique using a simple<br />

electronic controller connected to the PRV to<br />

switch between a day and night setting. Severn<br />

Trent considered but ruled out Time Modulation<br />

for two reasons:<br />

1. If there is a fire at night, the fire flow may be<br />

restricted due to the low setting<br />

2. A sudden switch between day and night<br />

settings may cause large amplitude pressure<br />

transients in the DMA which could reduce<br />

the life of the mains and may also have a<br />

negative impact on customer service by<br />

increasing the risk of new bursts.<br />

Flow modulation:<br />

This assumes that there is a consistent relationship<br />

between the flow into the DMA and the head-loss<br />

in the DMA. It uses this relationship to adjust the<br />

output pressure of the PRV depending on the flow<br />

rate into the DMA. A more detailed explanation is<br />

given below:<br />

Figure 1: A typical DMA<br />

169<br />

Figure 1 shows a typical DMA with a PRV installed<br />

at the inlet. The critical point is that point which<br />

is either at the furthest distance or at the highest<br />

elevation, or both, in relation to the DMA inlet. It<br />

is the point in the DMA that will normally see the<br />

lowest pressure. There is a further point shown, the<br />

AZP point, where the average zone pressure (AZP)<br />

can be measured. The PRV drops the pressure down<br />

from the PRV inlet pressure (P1) to the PRV outlet<br />

pressure (P2). P2 is set manually after installation<br />

of the PRV. Because it cannot be varied easily, it<br />

must be set to a conservatively high level that will<br />

be safe under the worse case conditions and for<br />

future changes in the network.<br />

Figure 2: Pressures in a DMA under high demand/flow rate conditions<br />

i.e. during the day


170<br />

Figure 3: Varying critical point pressure with PRV fixed outlet pressure<br />

Figure 2 shows the system at a time of maximum<br />

demand during the daytime. The high flow rates in<br />

the pipes create a large head loss between the inlet<br />

to the DMA and the critical point. If the PRV has<br />

been set up correctly, P2 will be set high enough<br />

to provide adequate critical point pressure (P3).<br />

However, at night when inflow is lowest, the head<br />

loss between the DMA inlet and the critical point<br />

is minimal and the pressure rises across the whole<br />

DMA until it is close to P2.<br />

This can be seen graphically in Fig. 3. P2 remains<br />

stable while P3 varies considerably as the head loss<br />

across the DMA varies with changing demand.<br />

Figure 4: Varying PRV outlet pressure and steady critical point pressure<br />

with Flow Modulation<br />

Using Flow Modulation, P2 is continuously adjusted<br />

(Fig. 4) in response to changes in flow rate, so that<br />

the pressure at the critical point (P3) is always<br />

kept just above the minimum level necessary. As<br />

the head-loss in the DMA between the PRV and<br />

the critical point changes with changing demand,<br />

P2 must be continually adjusted to achieve this.<br />

Severn Trent has some Flow Modulation, but<br />

limitations in the technology have held back wider<br />

scale implementation. The key limitations are<br />

considered as follows:<br />

1. Setting up the controllers requires specialist<br />

staff. The DMA must first be logged, then<br />

the relationship between P2 pressure and<br />

flow rate is programmed into a controller<br />

to control adjustments to the PRV. This<br />

process must also be repeated from time to<br />

time if there are changes in the DMA.<br />

2. As with fixed outlet PRVs, the settings<br />

programmed into the table of the controller<br />

are out of date as soon as they have been<br />

entered. In particular, the DMA may<br />

have been logged in the winter with quite<br />

different demand patterns to the summer.<br />

For this reason, the pressures in the table<br />

must be conservative with a considerable<br />

factor of safety built in.<br />

The pressure control achieved at the critical point<br />

is not always stable and can vary on some DMAs by<br />

as much as +/- 5m over the course of a day. For this<br />

reason, Severn Trent always builds in a large factor<br />

of safety when using flow modulation and would<br />

typically target 24m minimum. The reason that the<br />

critical point pressure is not always stable is that<br />

the flow-pressure relationship is quite complex and<br />

varies over time, from day to day and from season to<br />

season as patterns of demand change. Reliability of<br />

pressure control systems is understandably crucial.<br />

Malfunctions have the ability to interrupt supply if<br />

the PRV is inadvertently closed or to cause bursts if


it is inadvertently opened. Severn Trent felt that a<br />

higher standard of reliability was required from the<br />

hardware. It was felt necessary to look at alternative<br />

ways of changing the PRV output pressure that did<br />

not rely on either solenoid valves or air pumps.<br />

Severn Trent’s objective was to find technology that<br />

was capable of overcoming the above disadvantages<br />

of conventional flow modulation techniques. For<br />

this reason, they initiated the collaboration with<br />

i2O <strong>Water</strong>.<br />

THE INTELLIGENT PRESSURE MANAGEMENT<br />

SYSTEM:<br />

The intelligent pressure management system sets<br />

out to overcome the disadvantages of existing<br />

flow modulation technology; achieving this with<br />

two principal innovations: self learning control<br />

algorithms, which learn the characteristics of the<br />

DMA and adapt to changes, and a new design<br />

of PRV Advanced Pilot Valve (APV) which<br />

enables the PRV output pressure to be changed<br />

reliably, smoothly and accurately in response to<br />

electronic signals from a controller. A new pilot rail<br />

containing the APV is installed on the PRV in place<br />

of the standard pilot rail. This transforms the fixed<br />

outlet PRV into a PRV with a variable outlet that<br />

can be varied by the controller. The controller is<br />

then mounted in the PRV chamber and connected<br />

to the APV. The controller monitors the flow rates<br />

and pressures at the PRV, communicates with the<br />

server and adjusts P2 to the correct level.<br />

A P3 sensor is also installed at the critical point.<br />

This measures the pressures at the critical point<br />

and communicates with the i2O server. A further<br />

sensor (P4 sensor) can be installed at the AZP point<br />

to send back the AZP pressures (P4). If a P4 sensor<br />

is not used, an appropriate method should be used<br />

to calculate P4.<br />

Figure 5: The Intelligent Pressure Management System configuration<br />

APV<br />

Controller<br />

Figure 6: A typical installation<br />

171<br />

Both the controller and the P3 sensor send their<br />

data back to the central server on a scheduled<br />

basis, typically once a day, using the GSM network.<br />

During each communication, the previous 24<br />

hours’ pressure and flow data (P1, P2, P3 and Q)<br />

are uploaded to the server and an updated control<br />

algorithm is downloaded back to the controller.<br />

Since pressure and flow data accuracy is essential for<br />

optimum control; both the controller and P3 sensor<br />

feature advanced pressure sensing technology, with<br />

24bit analogue to digital converters, 0.1% accuracy<br />

transducers and high speed sampling to get a true<br />

average pressure reading. The system features SMS


172<br />

and email alarm functionality, both by the field<br />

devices and the central server, which can generate<br />

more sophisticated condition monitoring alarms.<br />

Data is stored on an SQL database with options<br />

for synchronising with the customer’s database,<br />

and for generating WITS compatible XML files for<br />

importation into the customer’s existing computer<br />

systems.<br />

ADVANCED PILOT VALVE (APV)<br />

A potential weakness in existing Flow Modulation<br />

technology is the method of adjusting P2. This is<br />

normally done by using solenoids to pulse either<br />

water or compressed air into a bias chamber that<br />

exerts a variable force onto the conventional pilot<br />

valve spring. Such systems can experience short<br />

battery life and limited range. Solenoids used to<br />

pulse water are often unreliable due to grit in the<br />

water affecting the mechanism of the solenoid.<br />

The systems that use compressed air to actuate<br />

the bias chamber are vulnerable to flooding of the<br />

PRV chamber. The new APV is a development of<br />

the conventional sprung diaphragm pilot valve,<br />

but with an innovative feature which enables<br />

adjustment of the pressure set point with minimal<br />

energy input. This enables the pilot to be adjusted<br />

with a small electrical signal.<br />

SELF LEARNING CONTROL ALGORITHMS<br />

The control algorithm is a significant innovation<br />

which enables all pressure optimisation to be<br />

carried out continuously and remotely from the<br />

device. As data is accumulated in the central SQL<br />

database, the algorithm learns the relationships<br />

between head-loss, flow rate, time of day, day of<br />

week and seasonal effects. The algorithm works<br />

on confidence levels, and will only start making<br />

adjustments to the control parameters when there<br />

is sufficient evidence to support the change.<br />

Figure 7: Self learning algorithm<br />

The i2o system can be installed in a few hours<br />

without the need for a survey. Initially, it will<br />

maintain the existing fixed P2 pressure, and<br />

incrementally start optimisation in a controlled<br />

fashion. After a period of several days, the algorithm<br />

will have optimised the control parameters such<br />

that the critical point pressures do not drop below<br />

the target critical point pressure with a 99.5%<br />

confidence level. After optimisation, the algorithm<br />

will continue to monitor new data as it is uploaded<br />

to the database. This enables it to adjust parameters<br />

if the characteristics within the DMA change, due,<br />

for example, to the building of a new housing estate,<br />

or industrial change of use.<br />

RESULTS FROM TRIAL INSTALLATIONS<br />

In January 2008, Severn Trent tested a prototype<br />

intelligent pressure management system on one<br />

of their DMAs. The trials were carried out over a<br />

period of several weeks and showed leakage savings<br />

in excess of 25% compared with the fixed outlet<br />

PRV. By August 2008, fully ruggedized production<br />

systems were available from i2O, and Severn Trent<br />

ordered six systems in order to conduct a longer<br />

term trial. Severn Trent selected a variety of different<br />

DMAs with varying levels of leakage and head-loss.<br />

The system was first installed on a medium-sized<br />

DMA comprising some 2,000 mainly residential


properties near Leicester. The DMA had previously<br />

been fitted with a flow modulation device, but was<br />

running at an optimized fixed outlet pressure at the<br />

time when the system was fitted. After a period of<br />

time, the self-learning algorithm had confidence to<br />

commence optimization of the pressures. Whilst<br />

the DMA was already set at an optimized fixed<br />

outlet pressure for peak summer flows, the system<br />

identified that the fixed outlet pressure could be<br />

optimized for the current winter flow patterns.<br />

Figure 8: First trial site – Halfway House DMA<br />

After approval from Severn Trent; the system<br />

initially optimized the fixed outlet pressure for<br />

the current season by taking outlet pressure<br />

down by 2 meters in two 1 meter steps. This<br />

initial optimization is part of a ‘Soft Start’ routine<br />

which has been developed recently to ensure<br />

that any significant change in DMA pressures<br />

is implemented slowly. This reduces customer<br />

complaints since the changes occur over a longer<br />

period. The system recalibrated after the fixed<br />

optimization had completed and commenced flow<br />

modulation with different day and night target<br />

pressures.<br />

The system can be seen to be accurately controlling<br />

P2 pressures to achieve critical point pressures to<br />

within close tolerances of Severn Trent’s stipulated<br />

minima. This graph more clearly shows three stages<br />

173<br />

of implementation on a DMA where the PRV outlet<br />

pressure was set conservatively high:<br />

1. Initial period: The system started with a<br />

period of 7-14 days of automatic calibration<br />

during which time the PRV was set to<br />

maintain the earlier conservative fixed<br />

outlet pressure.<br />

2. Fixed outlet optimization: This was<br />

followed by an incremental stepped<br />

fixed outlet optimization – all managed<br />

automatically and remotely.<br />

3. Flow modulation: After a recalibration,<br />

the system commenced flow modulation,<br />

with a further ‘soft’ incremental reduction<br />

of target pressures from 20m to 18m during<br />

both day and night.<br />

CALCULATION OF LEAKAGE SAVINGS<br />

Throughout the trial, the average zone pressure<br />

was estimated by i2O by logging at the calculated<br />

average zone point (PAZP). The PAZP was measured<br />

both before the fixed pressure optimisation (P4 ), 0a<br />

after the optimisation of the fixed outlet pressure<br />

(P4 ), and after flow modulation had commenced<br />

0b<br />

(P4 ). Leakage was estimated before the trial<br />

1<br />

started using the ‘bottom up’ approach, i.e. night<br />

leakage was calculated by monitoring the night<br />

line and appropriate legitimate consumption was<br />

subtracted. This initial night leakage was multiplied<br />

by the calculated hour to day factor to establish the<br />

baseline daily leakage (L0).


174<br />

Figure 9: Leakage Savings at Halfway House DMA<br />

The effective leakage reduction was calculated<br />

using the FAVAD method<br />

L 1 =L 0 .(P4 1 /P4 0 ) N1 .Leakage reduction was calculated<br />

both due to the fixed outlet optimisation (L 1a ) and<br />

the flow modulation optimisation (L 1b ) as shown<br />

on the graph above. At the time of implementation,<br />

the leakage L was 285 m 0 3 /day.After fixed outlet<br />

optimisation, the leakage L was 262 m 1a 3 /day, an 8%<br />

reduction. After flow modulation optimisation, the<br />

leakage L was 228 m 1b 3 /day, a 20% reduction.<br />

In light of the excellent confidence levels, Severn<br />

Trent <strong>Water</strong> has since reduced the target minimum<br />

critical point pressure to 20m, giving a 26%<br />

reduction in leakage.<br />

CONCLUSIONS<br />

The intelligent pressure management system has<br />

demonstrated a good control of pressures at the<br />

Critical Point. This has enabled Severn Trent to<br />

reduce Average Zone Pressures, and hence leakage<br />

without effecting customer service. The system<br />

adapts to changes in the characteristics of the<br />

DMA and will ensure that the pressure will always<br />

remain optimised. This provides a more consistent<br />

service to customers. As well as the operational<br />

benefits, the system provides a wealth of data on the<br />

performance of the network under control, which<br />

is of value in the efficient management of the water<br />

company’s assets. The system has so far proved to<br />

be reliable, through demanding winter conditions.<br />

A trial of a further six systems in 2009 resulted in<br />

leakage savings in each DMA of between 9 and 33%.<br />

Severn Trent believes that this system has a big<br />

potential to help it achieve leakage targets more<br />

efficiently and at a lower cost than current methods of<br />

mains replacement or find and fix. Severn Trent has<br />

ordered further i2O systems as a result of the trials.<br />

This paper is an abbreviated and modified form of<br />

the one submitted for the IWA <strong>Water</strong> Loss 2009 by<br />

Trow and Payne.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

• May J. (1994) ‘Leakage, Pressure and<br />

Control’. Paper presented at BICS<br />

International Conference on Leakage<br />

Control Investigation and Underground<br />

Assets, London, March<br />

• Thornton J and Lambert A (2005),<br />

Progress in practical prediction of<br />

•<br />

pressure:leakage, pressure>burst frequency<br />

and pressure:consumption relationships<br />

Halifax 2005<br />

Chesneau O, Bremond B, Le Gat Y<br />

(2007). Predicting leakage rates through<br />

background losses and unreported bursts<br />

modelling. IWA <strong>Water</strong>Loss Conference<br />

Proceedings Volume 1, Bucharest, Sept<br />

2007. ISBN 978-973-7681-25-6<br />

• Fanner P.V., Sturm R, Thornton J,<br />

Liemberger R (2007). Leakage Management<br />

Technologies. AWWARF Project Report<br />

2928<br />

• Farley. M and Trow S.W. – Losses in <strong>Water</strong><br />

Distribution Networks, A Practitioner’s<br />

Guide to Monitoring and Control’ IWA<br />

Publishing 2003 ISBN 1 900222 11 6


CEOCOR, Austria - Belgium<br />

Cost efficient leakage management in water<br />

supply systems<br />

Mr Max Hammerer, Klagenfurt, Austria, Representative of CEOCOR <strong>Association</strong>, Belgium<br />

ABSTRACT:<br />

The level of pipeline network losses and the amount of damage to supply systems are a measure of the<br />

quality of the substance of the system as well as its availability to consumers. Therefore, it is necessary for<br />

the system components and system condition to be clearly and unambiguously documented. The basis for<br />

the assessment of a system is systematic inspection and service, as well as documentation and assessment of<br />

the results. Legislators and trade associations have developed guidelines regarding the type and frequency<br />

of inspections to be conducted, so that recommendations and threshold values can be consulted to arrive<br />

at an assessment of the condition of a system.<br />

Due to the complex structure of supply systems, the inventory data of the pipelines is managed in a<br />

Geographical Information System (GIS). This technique permits consistent data management from the<br />

consumer to the internal parts and systems in graphical and alphanumerical form. This data inventory<br />

is the basis for the systematic inspection, service and maintenance of the supply system. The results of<br />

the inspections are assessed. Necessary appraisals of repairs are entered in the damages file and analysed<br />

selectively. Maintenance strategies are derived and developed from the inventory data and the condition<br />

data. With this approach, limited resources are used optimally and a sustainable drinking water supply is<br />

guaranteed.<br />

175


176<br />

1. INTRODUCTION<br />

Companies for public water supply must manage<br />

two basic tasks:<br />

• fulfilment of the public mandate (customer<br />

satisfaction, availability, corporate image,<br />

and reducing and keeping the pipeline<br />

network losses low and having low risks<br />

from external influences)<br />

• efficient business management (cost of<br />

supply, corporate success and a long-term<br />

cost and rate structure)<br />

The extent to which the company succeeds in<br />

striking a balance between these two tasks and<br />

successfully manages them is determined by the<br />

quality of the management and the long-term value<br />

of the supply systems.<br />

The condition of the pipeline system is determined<br />

by the level of annual pipeline network losses and<br />

the amount of damage or alternatively repairs.<br />

For the definition of the amount of damage, it<br />

is important for leak testing to be performed<br />

continuously so that these figures refer to existing<br />

and not to (coincidentally) discovered damage.<br />

2. RECORDING THE CONDITION OF THE<br />

PIPELINE SYSTEMS<br />

Pipeline systems consist of pipelines (feed lines,<br />

main lines, supply lines, and connecting lines),<br />

internal parts (valves etc.), and fittings. Within<br />

the scope of modern company management,<br />

the pipeline system is managed in a Geographic<br />

Information System (GIS). For the individual<br />

components, there are defined procedures for<br />

inspecting or alternatively defining the condition<br />

and the functional performance.<br />

2.1. Goal-Orientated Maintenance<br />

Within the scope of goal-orientated maintenance,<br />

the operating condition of drinking water pipeline<br />

networks must be monitored regularly and their<br />

internal parts must be monitored in addition to<br />

make sure they can be found, that they have no<br />

leaks, and that they function.<br />

Inspections of the system components must be<br />

documented in suitable lists and statistics including<br />

the date, systems used, and the respective results.<br />

The results of the inspections must be managed<br />

in damage statistics. Furthermore, a variety of<br />

information regarding events, maintenance work,<br />

costs, and assessments of the inspected items must<br />

be documented.<br />

2.2 Inspection for Leaks in the Lines (Pipelines)<br />

The type, extent, and time intervals of line<br />

inspections are mainly determined by the level<br />

of water loss according to the annual balance, to<br />

deviation between the registered feed quantity and<br />

comparative values, to the frequency of damage,<br />

and to the local conditions (subsoil, pipeline<br />

material, supply pressure, etc.).<br />

The basis for preparing the annual loss balance<br />

requires the maintenance and analysis of all feed and<br />

delivery quantities by means of suitable measuring<br />

equipment. So-called “internal consumption” and<br />

other water deliveries that are not billed must be<br />

recorded exactly and documented.<br />

DVGW has developed key figures that provide an<br />

approximate value for the level of pipeline losses.<br />

However, is has been established that key values for<br />

the level of water losses can only be related to local<br />

conditions, which are affected by many factors.<br />

Each company must define its own key values and


derive conclusions from them for technical and<br />

economical measures.<br />

3. WATER LOSSES IN DRINKING WATER<br />

PIPELINE NETWORKS<br />

<strong>Water</strong> losses are reduced for hygienic, supplyrelated,<br />

ecological and economical reasons. Low<br />

water losses are an important indicator of good<br />

pipeline network condition and lead to availability<br />

and reduced costs for maintenance. The most<br />

accurate and comprehensive measurement possible<br />

for the water volumes fed into the pipeline network<br />

and discharged from it is an important element<br />

in determining water loss. Here, the model,<br />

installation and size of the water meters must be<br />

selected according to the technical standard.<br />

3.1. Early Detection of Pipeline Network Losses<br />

Early detection of water losses involves the use of<br />

permanently installed water meters that delimit<br />

the entire supply zone or sub-zone (pressure or<br />

supply zones), as well as the feed lines. These<br />

quantity values must be documented carefully and<br />

can provide a clear indication of the development<br />

and existence of water losses based on their levels.<br />

On one hand, this could be weekly quantities, daily<br />

quantities, or night time minimum values, which<br />

must be processed based on the consumption<br />

structure. Here, it is practically impossible to derive<br />

any general key values. The consumption trend<br />

can also be read from the long-term comparison of<br />

inflow quantities.<br />

3.2. Factors Influencing the Level of <strong>Water</strong> Losses<br />

The level of water losses is influenced by many<br />

factors, some of which cannot be influenced. This<br />

applies mainly to the installed pipeline system and<br />

177<br />

its installation quality, which was selected and<br />

installed many years previously according to the<br />

standards of the time (pipeline materials, installed<br />

parts, connection systems, installation technology,<br />

etc.).<br />

Therefore, it is particularly important to identify<br />

those factors that will allow an economically and<br />

technically feasible procedure to effectively reduce<br />

the pipeline network losses. Extensive knowledge<br />

of the supply system as a whole is necessary for this<br />

decision, as well as specific knowledge of the pipeline<br />

system and all internal parts and their condition.<br />

The GIS graphical and alphanumerical pipeline<br />

documentation, the results of a GIS-conforming<br />

damages file, and the results of a GIS-conforming<br />

pipeline network analysis are instrumental for this.<br />

Naturally the results of the damages analysis must<br />

be input from a systematic and regular pipeline<br />

network inspection so that influences on the<br />

pipeline components and weaknesses are not<br />

shown based on dominant events and situations.<br />

A differentiation of the factors influencing the level<br />

of pipeline network losses is required so that the<br />

local problems can be dealt with selectively and the<br />

desired goal of lowering the pipeline network losses<br />

can be achieved. The individual influencing factors<br />

must be identified and evaluated from the existing,<br />

long-term analysis of the operating data.<br />

Besides selective influences affecting the level of<br />

pipeline network losses, the causes of the damages<br />

must be dealt with, which are also influenced by<br />

local conditions. Here as well, one must take into<br />

consideration that one is dealing with existing<br />

situations, which cannot be influenced for the next<br />

30, 50 or more years.<br />

Therefore, identify and act!


178<br />

3.3 Procedure to Record and Reduce <strong>Water</strong> Losses<br />

Looking for leaks (method of determining and<br />

localising leakage points) is broken down into two<br />

procedural steps:<br />

• Prelocation (procedure of narrowing<br />

•<br />

down likely leakage points to the smallest<br />

possible area or network section with<br />

inflow measurement or acoustic system)<br />

Localisation (acoustic procedure to localise<br />

the leakage points down to the point as a<br />

basis for excavation and repair)<br />

The reasons for initiating a search for leaks could<br />

be:<br />

• routine or regular inspection of the pipeline<br />

system at the recommendation of rule<br />

groups or operational guidelines<br />

• other causes<br />

4. DAMAGE STATISTICS<br />

Damage statistics are entered in the PC program<br />

for all repairs made to the water supply system. The<br />

repairs are entered on a pre-existing damage form<br />

with clearly defined names and terms so that all<br />

criteria are available to be analysed.<br />

It appears that to assess the condition of the<br />

supply system and to make other statements for<br />

future measures, damage data is necessary over an<br />

extended period of time so that damage trends can<br />

be recognised and evaluated.<br />

The establishment of damage statistics is an<br />

indispensable requirement for operators of pipeline<br />

systems to documentat and assess the condition of<br />

the system.<br />

The following data are necessay for defining and<br />

analysing the failures:<br />

• Location of the failure<br />

• Defect on<br />

• Type of defect<br />

• Date of repair<br />

•<br />

The content of the damages file covers all the builtin<br />

components of the supply system.<br />

The analyses and evaluations require experience<br />

and knowledge of the assessment of weak points<br />

because besides generating the statistics, these<br />

results are used to assess future investments and<br />

strategies to reduce water losses. Data from more<br />

than 10 years is necessary for a careful assessment<br />

of the pipeline condition. Parallel to the damage<br />

data, the pipeline inventory data should be managed<br />

synchronously to determine annual key values for<br />

changes to the damage dynamics. A modern GIS<br />

maintains an archive for the system inventory and<br />

the damage data. That way, the damage dynamics<br />

can be assigned to the respective current pipeline<br />

inventory of the past.<br />

4.1. Analysis of the Damage Data<br />

It is important to know where the weak points in<br />

the network are located:<br />

• in what system components<br />

• in what streets or zones<br />

• type of damage and cause of damage<br />

• reason for repair (leak localisation or selfevident)<br />

• when did the damage occur or alternatively<br />

when was it repaired<br />

• additional information about the pipeline,<br />

bedding, and measures<br />

With this information it is possible to conduct the<br />

necessary analysis to assess the condition of the<br />

system.


Note: The failures in a supply system are not<br />

uniformly distributed in their position!<br />

4.2. Key Values for Damage Rates in Supply Net-<br />

works<br />

For orientation purposes, DVGW reports guide<br />

values for damage rates. They are reported in<br />

worksheets and in the annual statistics as operating<br />

key values. The data in the following table are<br />

average values within one year.<br />

Each supply company should maintain equivalent<br />

statistics and use them to establish a trend for a time<br />

period of at least 5 years to assess the condition of<br />

the pipeline system.<br />

Every company must establish its own key values<br />

taking into consideration the local conditions and<br />

develop a strategy for operation management<br />

based on them.<br />

4.3. Connection Between Loss Trends and Damage<br />

Trends<br />

The loss trends and the damage trends are not<br />

necessarily connected. The results of many analyses<br />

of pipeline networks have shown that a reduction<br />

of the amount of damage is essentially dependent<br />

on renewal of the pipeline components.<br />

On the other hand, a reduction of the pipeline<br />

network losses is essentially dependent on a<br />

reduction of the elapsed time for the individual<br />

damage.<br />

Therefore, identify losses as quickly as possible and<br />

then localise and repair them immediately.<br />

This refers to the substance and the availability<br />

because an old pipeline network with very dynamic<br />

179<br />

damage cannot be kept functional in the long<br />

term by repairs. Systematic renewals are therefore<br />

absolutely necessary.<br />

5. MAINTAINING THE SUBSTANCE OF PIPELINE<br />

SYSTEMS<br />

The pipeline systems and facilities are constantly<br />

ageing and therefore increasingly susceptible<br />

to damage and water losses. The availability<br />

becomes less certain and the costs for inspections<br />

and maintenance increase. As with all system<br />

components in our lives that are in constant use<br />

and subject to a great variety of loads, there is<br />

always wear and tear. Here, we are talking about<br />

the service life of the lines and facilities. This is the<br />

service life after which the pipelines and system<br />

components must be renewed in order to ensure<br />

the reliability and efficiency of the supply.<br />

The substance of the pipe system is influenced by<br />

the level of water losses and the numbers of the<br />

failures on the pipelines. Both factors should be<br />

reduced in practice.<br />

• Reduction of water losses by monitoring,<br />

leak detection and repairs<br />

• Reduction of the number of failures by<br />

replacement of pipelines on the basis of the<br />

failure statistics and rehabilitation strategy<br />

6. ROAD MAP FOR REDUCING WATER LOSSES<br />

Long term monitoring<br />

• Inflow quantity into the supply sector and<br />

determination of key parameters<br />

• Documentation of the failure repairs in a<br />

failure statistic


180<br />

Organisation of leak detection works<br />

• Implementation of the right methods and<br />

instruments<br />

• Staff training<br />

• Determination of performance indicators<br />

of the inflow and repair concentration<br />

Implementation of a future orientaded inspection<br />

and rehabilitation strategy<br />

• Cost- and benefit calculation for deciding<br />

on repair and rehabilitation<br />

• Selection of the right pipe materials for<br />

local situations<br />

• Training programme and guidelines for<br />

qualified construction works<br />

7. EFFICIENCY WATER LOSS REDUCTION<br />

The necessity of reducing and keeping the pipeline<br />

network losses low is justified as follows:<br />

• ecological aspects<br />

• legal liability aspects<br />

• supply-related aspects<br />

• preservation of systems and substance<br />

aspects<br />

• image-orientated aspects of the water<br />

supplier<br />

• financial aspects<br />

The efficiency and effectiveness of water loss<br />

reduction requires that the pipeline systems<br />

be systematically or permanently monitored,<br />

inspections carried out regularly, that there be an<br />

immediate response to possible water leaks, and<br />

that a repair be made immediately after the site of<br />

the leak is determined.<br />

All measures and results must be systematically<br />

documented so that comparative analyses are<br />

possible over longer time periods (development of<br />

the damage dynamics and loss dynamics with the<br />

dedicated costs).<br />

The operating goal of these organisational measures<br />

is to keep the duration of the water discharge from<br />

the leak site short.<br />

The work involved in finding leak sites is dependent<br />

on the following factors:<br />

• amount of damage<br />

• existing waste volumes<br />

• operating pressure (sound energy)<br />

• pipeline materials (sound propagation)<br />

• number of contact points (acoustic leak<br />

position location)<br />

• structure of the supply network (size of the<br />

grid regions to be monitored)<br />

• objective of a requested possible water loss<br />

volume in the pipeline network<br />

The efficiency of a reduction of the pipeline<br />

network losses is explained based on a nomogram<br />

and results examples.<br />

8. CONCLUSION<br />

Inventory control and recording the condition of<br />

supply systems is indispensable. The guidelines<br />

for the scope of the inspections and the inspection<br />

cycles are recorded in the relevant guidelines of the<br />

trade associations.<br />

Each company must establish its own key values so<br />

that local conditions are taken into consideration.<br />

Based on these key values, each operator of<br />

supply systems must develop its own strategy for<br />

maintaining the supply and above all for maintaining<br />

the substance of the asset value so that operation is<br />

guaranteed in the long term both technically and<br />

economically. With the described procedure, ways<br />

have been shown by which optimum operations<br />

management can be achieved for an efficient


eduction of pipeline losses in harmony with the<br />

philosophy of the company, the local influences, the<br />

current condition of the systems, and the economic<br />

possibilities.<br />

9. LITERATURE AND SOURCES<br />

• DVGW Worksheet W 392, Edition May<br />

2003 (Pipeline network inspection and<br />

water losses – measures, methods, and<br />

assessments)<br />

• DVGW Worksheet W 400-3, Edition<br />

September 2006 (Technical rules for the<br />

water distibution systems – TRWV; Part 3:<br />

Operation and Maintenance)<br />

• DVGW Worksheet W 395, Edition July<br />

1998 (Damage statistics for water pipeline<br />

netorks)<br />

• DVGW Energy <strong>Water</strong> Practice, Sept. 2006<br />

(Damage statistics for water supply 1997-<br />

2004)<br />

• OENORM B 2539, Edition 01.12.2005<br />

(Technical monitoring of drinking water<br />

supply systems)<br />

181


182<br />

DLR, Germany<br />

<strong>Water</strong> Efficiency and <strong>Water</strong> Management - a<br />

Shared Responsibility<br />

Dr Dagmar Bley, <strong>Water</strong> Strategy Initiative Office at Project Management Agency of DLR,<br />

Germany<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

Places where water is abundant have always attracted human settlement and urban development. But<br />

unwise exploitation and poor management of originally rich resources has created man-made water<br />

scarcity. Responsibility for water needs to be shared across sectors. Efficient urban water management is<br />

one of the pressing tasks of the century, not only for the 60 per cent of the world population that will live in<br />

urban agglomerations by 2025. <strong>Water</strong> demand in many of these areas is still increasing, and is also causing<br />

problems for agriculture. But in many countries inefficient irrigation is still at the root of water shortage.<br />

Solution-oriented cooperation at the urban-rural interface is therefore needed.<br />

Economic growth leads to increased demand for water. During the last 30 years, water efficiency in<br />

industry has increased considerably, with 95 per cent recycling rates achieved in some cases. This has<br />

relieved pressure on water resources and released water for domestic supply. <strong>Water</strong> loss reduction is still<br />

one of the most challenging tasks. Worldwide roughly one third of the usable water in urban areas is<br />

lost during distribution, enough to provide safe water to the 1.3 billion people lacking adequate water<br />

services. Active and passive leakage control and the elimination of the illegal use of water require capacity<br />

development on planned maintenance, better education and greater public involvement. Although in<br />

Europe water is generally abundant, many areas experience shortages and periodic droughts. The <strong>European</strong><br />

Commission estimates that water efficiency could be improved by nearly 40 per cent through technological<br />

improvements, whilst changes in human behaviour and production patterns could increase savings further.<br />

A global comparison of water supply systems shows that a sustainably-managed water supply is affordable. A<br />

reasonable target is less than 7 per cent water loss - the rate in Germany. The financial burden per individual or<br />

household would be less than 1 per cent of the average income - worldwide. Thus an efficient and safe water supply<br />

is cheap, and is the primary tool for poverty reduction. Increasing capabilities and knowledge can make water<br />

scarcity the exception rather than the rule.


Annexes<br />

183


184


Workshop programme<br />

MONDAY 16 NOVEMBER<br />

8:00 Registration of participants<br />

9:00 Opening Session<br />

Welcoming Addresses:<br />

• Dr Valeri Nikolov, President, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> (BWA)<br />

• Dr Reza Ardakanian, Director, UN-<strong>Water</strong> Decade Programme on Capacity<br />

Development (UNW-DPC)<br />

• Ms Anne Bousquet, Global <strong>Water</strong> Operators Partnerships Alliance, United<br />

Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT)<br />

• Mr Vladimir Stratiev, Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Environment and<br />

<strong>Water</strong> of <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

• Mr Yordan Tatarski, Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of Regional Development<br />

and Public Works of <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

9:50 Children performance/folk dances<br />

10:00 Group Photo<br />

Visiting Technical Exhibition<br />

Coffee break<br />

11:00 Keynote – “Overview of status and challenges of water loss reduction in South East<br />

Europe”, Mr Károly Kovács, <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> (EWA)<br />

11:30 Keynote – “Economic aspects of drinking water loss reduction within Integrated<br />

Urban <strong>Water</strong> Management (IUWM)“, Prof. Dr K.U. Rudolph, Coordinator of<br />

UNW-DPC Working Group on Capacity Development for <strong>Water</strong> Efficiency<br />

12:00 Introductory remarks, Dr J.L. Martin-Bordes (UNW-DPC) and Dr Atanas Paskalev,<br />

(BWA)<br />

• Scope and purpose of the workshop, expected outcomes<br />

• Structure of sessions, introduction of chairpersons<br />

185


186<br />

12:30 Lunch break<br />

14:00 – 18:00 Session I: Technical solutions and case studies<br />

14:00 – 15:45 Panel 1: Invited presentations (15 minutes each):<br />

“<strong>Water</strong> supply and sewerage sector reforms in Albania: how to balance compliance<br />

and affordability” Dr Enkelejda Gjinali, Advisor to the Albanian Prime Minister<br />

on <strong>Water</strong> Policy and Issues & Lecturer at the Environmental Engineering<br />

Department of the Polytechnic University of Tirana, Albania<br />

“Innovations in mitigating water losses”, Mr Stefan Zhelyazkov, Executive Director<br />

of Stroitelna mehanizatsia AD, Kazanlak, <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

“Experience gained and results achieved through active leakage control and pressure<br />

management in particular DMAs in the city of Skopje”, Mr Bojan Ristovski, Director<br />

of Leak Detection Department, On-Duty Center and Call Center, P.E. <strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />

and Sewerage-Skopje, FYR Macedonia<br />

“Case-Study regarding the implementation of the water loss reduction strategy in<br />

Timisoara”, Mr Mihai Grozavescu, Assistant Director, S.C. AQUATIM S.A.,<br />

Romania<br />

Discussion with the members of the Panel<br />

15:45 – 16:15 Coffee Break at the Technical Exhibition<br />

16:15 – 18:00 Panel 2: Invited presentations (15 minutes each):<br />

“Managing Leakage in Malta: The WSC Approach towards Quantifying and<br />

Controlling <strong>Water</strong> Losses”, Mr Nigel Ellu, Regional Manager, <strong>Water</strong> Services<br />

Corporation, Malta<br />

“Conceptual approach to water loss reduction”, Mr Miroslav Tesarik, Project<br />

Manager, Danish Hydraulic Institute, DHI a.s., Czech Republic<br />

“Analysis of water consumption and water losses in DMA 348,349 and 840 in<br />

Geo Milev residential district, Sofia”, Prof. Dr. Gantcho Dimitrov, Head of <strong>Water</strong><br />

and Sanitation Dept., University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy,<br />

Sofia, <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

“An efficient decision for the reduction of water losses and number of damages in<br />

the lower part of the town of Kardzhali”, Prof. Dr. Gantcho Dimitrov, Head of <strong>Water</strong>


and Sanitation Dept., University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy,<br />

Sofia, <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

“<strong>Water</strong> Loss situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro”, Mr Djevad<br />

Koldzo, Unaccounted-for <strong>Water</strong> expert, Hydro-Engineering Institute Sarajevo,<br />

Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro<br />

Discussion with the members of the Panel (cont. Session I)<br />

19:00 Reception, hosted by Infragroup Co. Ltd. (SUPERLIT Born Sanayi A.S.)<br />

TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER<br />

9:00 – 13:00 Session II: Technical and administrative solutions and case studies<br />

9:00 – 10:45 Panel 1: Invited presentations (15 minutes each):<br />

“<strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction in R. of Serbia: practical experiences and encountered<br />

problems”, Mr. Branislav Babić, Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Belgrade,<br />

Serbia<br />

“<strong>Water</strong> Loss Management: Veolia’s experience in the Czech Republic”, Mr Bruno<br />

Jannin, Project Manager, Veolia, Czech Republic<br />

“A Paradigm Shift in <strong>Water</strong> Loss Audits”, Mr Stefanos Georgiadis, Assistant General<br />

Manager, Network Facilities, Athens <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewage Company S.A.,<br />

Greece<br />

“Case-Study regarding the implementation of the water loss reduction strategy in<br />

Satu Mare”, Mr Claudiu Tulba, Porject Manager of WWTP-PIU, S.C.APASERV SATU<br />

MARE SA, Romania<br />

“Development and Delivery of a <strong>Water</strong> Loss Control Training Course”, Ms Elisabeta<br />

Poçi, Programme and Training Manager, <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage <strong>Association</strong> of<br />

Albania, Albania<br />

Discussion with the members of the Panel<br />

10:45 – 11:15 Coffee break at the Technical Exhibition<br />

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188<br />

11:15 – 13:00 Panel 2: Invited presentations (15 minutes each):<br />

“The German experience to investigate sewer networks”, Mr Johannes Lohaus<br />

General Manager of the German <strong>Association</strong> for <strong>Water</strong>, Wastewater and Waste<br />

(DWA), Germany<br />

“Creating a concept of rehabilitation of a pipe system” Mr Jörg Otterbach, WVER,<br />

German <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong> of <strong>Water</strong>, Wastewater and Waste (DWA), Germany<br />

“Tools for capacity development: the experience of the <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong>”<br />

Ms Boryana Dimitrova, Management Assistant, <strong>European</strong> <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />

(EWA)<br />

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break<br />

Discussion with the members of the Panel (cont. Session II)<br />

14:00 – 16:30 Session II: Technical and administrative solutions and case studies (cont.)<br />

14:00 – 15:00 Panel 1: Invited presentations (15 minutes each):<br />

“District Metered Areas (DMAs) for the Management of <strong>Water</strong> Losses in Antalya<br />

City”, Prof. Habib Muhammetoglu, University of Akdeniz, Faculty of Engineering,<br />

Department of Environmental Engineering, Antalya, Turkey<br />

“Monitoring and Management of <strong>Water</strong> Distribution Network in Antalya City”,<br />

Mr Ismail Demirel, Head of SCADA Branch, Antalya Metropolitan Municipality,<br />

Antalya <strong>Water</strong> and Wastewater Administration (ASAT), Turkey<br />

“A free water balance software – <strong>Bulgaria</strong>n version” Ms Gergina Mihaylova,<br />

Studio Fantozzi, Italy - <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

“Pressure Management Mechanics: understanding the relationships between<br />

pressure and water loss”, Mr Stuart Trow, Consultant and Non-Executive Director,<br />

i2O <strong>Water</strong>, United Kingdom<br />

“Intelligent Pressure Management: a new development for monitoring and control<br />

of water distribution systems”, Mr Stuart Trow, Consultant and Non-Executive<br />

Director, i2O <strong>Water</strong>, United Kingdom<br />

Discussion with the members of the Panel<br />

15:00 – 15:30 Coffee Break at the Technical Exhibition


15:30 – 17:00 Session III: Capacity development experiences and tools<br />

Panel 2: Invited presentations:<br />

“The case study of the Korca <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage Company”, Mr Petrit Tare,<br />

Director, Korca <strong>Water</strong> Supply and Sewerage Company, Albania<br />

“Cost efficient leakage management in water supply systems”, Mr Max Hammerer,<br />

Klagenfurt, Representative of CEOCOR <strong>Association</strong>, Austria - Belgium<br />

“Lessons learned from regional <strong>Water</strong> Loss Reduction Capacity Building Programmes<br />

and their Implications for <strong>Water</strong> Operators’ Partnerships”, Ms Julie Perkins,<br />

Programme Officer, UN-HABITAT<br />

“<strong>Water</strong> Efficiency and <strong>Water</strong> Management – a Shared Responsibility”, Dr. Dagmar<br />

Bley, <strong>Water</strong> Strategy Initiative Office at Project Management Agency of DLR,<br />

Germany<br />

17:00 – 17:30 Closing Session<br />

Discussion with the members of the Panel<br />

Wrap-up and the Way Forward<br />

Closing remarks:<br />

• Dr Atanas Paskalev, BWA<br />

• Dr Faraj El-Awar, UN-HABITAT<br />

• Dr Reza Ardakanian, UNW-DPC<br />

17:30 Exhibitors’ Session<br />

Infra Group Co. Ltd. (excl. representative for <strong>Bulgaria</strong> of SUPERLIT Boru<br />

Sanayi A.S.), main sponsor of BWA for the workshop<br />

VAG Armaturen GmbH, Germany<br />

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190<br />

WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER<br />

9:00 – 13:00 Special Session: Exploring opportunities for establishing a regional SEE WOPs<br />

platform<br />

9:00 – 9:10 Welcome remarks, BWA<br />

9:10 – 9:20 WOP Session Objectives and Programme Overview<br />

9:20 – 9:35 Global <strong>Water</strong> Operators’ Partnerships Alliance: who we are, what we do<br />

9:35 – 9:50 WOPs in Practice, case-studies from the region<br />

9:50 – 10:05 Lessons from Regional WOPs processes<br />

10:05 – 10:20 Overview of water operators needs and challenges in the SEE region<br />

10:20 – 10:50 Coffee Break<br />

10:50 – 11:50 Interactive Session, Working-group sessions:<br />

Theme: What are the priority needs in terms of Capacity Building within WOPs for<br />

the SEE water operators? What can utilities learn from each other?<br />

11:50 – 12:10 Summary of Needs/Opportunities<br />

12:10 – 12:50 Draft Framework for Action and Discussion<br />

12:50 – 13:00 Final comments and Closure<br />

13:00 – 14:30 Lunch Break<br />

Closing


List of participants<br />

. Participant Company Address<br />

1 Alexieva, Nadia VK Vidin<br />

2<br />

Anchidin, Alin<br />

Head of <strong>Water</strong><br />

Loss Detection<br />

Compartment<br />

S.A.Aquatim SA<br />

3 Andreev, Penio Industrial Parts Ltd.<br />

4<br />

5<br />

6<br />

7<br />

Ardakanian, Reza<br />

Director<br />

Arnaudov, Igor<br />

General Manager<br />

Arsov, Roumen<br />

Professor, Secretary<br />

General, BWA<br />

Baader, Jorg<br />

Project Engineer<br />

8 Babic, Branislav<br />

UNW-DPC<br />

J.P. Vodovod I<br />

Kanalizacija Skopije<br />

BWA<br />

VAG Armaturen<br />

GmbH<br />

Faculty of Civil<br />

Engineering,<br />

University of<br />

Belgrade<br />

18, Chiroka,Str.<br />

3700 Vidin, <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Phone: +359 94 601 162<br />

+359 94 601 079<br />

E-mail: office@vik-vidin.com<br />

Str. Gh.Lazar Nr.11-A<br />

Timisoara, Romania<br />

Phone: +40 256 201370<br />

Fax : +40 256 2947539<br />

E-mail: alin.anchidin@aquatim.ro<br />

4 Angel Kanchev Str.<br />

6000 Stara Zagora, <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Phone: +359 42 621 836<br />

Fax: +359 42 621 836<br />

E-mail: bg.@ industrial-parts.com<br />

UN Campus,<br />

Hermann-Ehlers-Strasse 10, 53113 Bonn,<br />

Germany<br />

Phone +49 228 815 0651<br />

Fax: +49 228 815 0655<br />

E-mail: ardakanian@unwater.unu.edu<br />

27, Lazar Licenovski Str.<br />

1000 Skopje, Macedonia<br />

1 Hr. Smirnenski Blvd., A-111<br />

1046 Sofia, <strong>Bulgaria</strong><br />

Phone : +359 2 866 89 95<br />

+359 888 473 309<br />

Fax: +359 2 866 89 95<br />

E-mail: r_arsov_fhe@uacg.bg<br />

Carl-Reuter Str. 1<br />

68305 Mannhein, Germany<br />

Phone: +49 172 7349109<br />

Fax: +49749 291916<br />

E-mail: J.Baader@vag-armaturen.com<br />

Bulevar Kralja Alexandra 73,<br />

11000 Belgrade,Serbia<br />

Phone: +381 11 3218 557<br />

Fax: +381 11 33 70 223<br />

E-mail: babic@grf.bg.as.rs<br />

191


192<br />

9 Bachvarov, Doncho Alfa Laval Ltd.<br />

10<br />

11<br />

Baneva, Maya<br />

Technical Intern<br />

Bley, Dagmar<br />

Scientific Officer<br />

I20 <strong>Water</strong><br />

<strong>Water</strong> Strategy<br />

Initiative<br />

Office, Project<br />

Management<br />

agency at DLR<br />

12 Boiadjiev, Dimitar Akvaror Ltd.<br />

13 Boiadjiev, Petko Akvaror Ltd.<br />

14<br />

15<br />