A review of nonrevenue water assessment software tools

Abstract

Several software tools are available that can assess the performance of nonrevenue water (NRW) in water distribution networks and plan for reduction measures. Of the 21 tools that have been reported in the literature, 12 are freely available. The creation of these many tools and different versions of each individual tool indicates the promising future of NRW software development. This review comprises 12 freely available tools for water balance establishment, NRW performance assessment, and NRW reduction planning. Most of the tools have been developed to establish standard annual water balances and recommended performance indicators (PIs) for the entire network. Some tools have been developed to intervene and reduce the leakage in a district metered area. Key features increasingly being included in NRW software include uncertainty analysis, recognition of supply intermittency, and accommodation of a guidance matrix and benchmarks. Leakage assessment is fully recognized, and leakage reduction analyses are increasingly growing in the software tools. However, much less attention has been paid to assessing and options for reducing apparent losses. Although a comprehensive NRW management tool for monitoring, planning, and intervention is not currently available, developing a comprehensive tool is worthwhile, in the form of one package or a kit of smaller tools. Toward this goal, the article provides insights and recommendations addressing topics of intermittency, normalization, multi‐method assessment, planning for the reduction of apparent and real losses, and estimation of the economic level of water loss. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Engineering Water > Methods

Introductory Chapter: Resources of Water and the Need for Conservation

“…Non-revenue water loss refers to the produced water that is lost during distribution without generating revenue and comprises of components such as real losses, apparent losses and unbilled water consumption [2]. Real losses and apparent losses in a distribution network can be reduced considerably by efficient water auditing.…”

Managing Apparent Loss and Real Loss from the Nexus Perspective Using System Dynamics

“…Mounting water-related global challenges, such as climate change, water scarcity, escalating water demand due to population growth and urbanization, water deterioration, and aging infrastructure, are placing more pressure on water utilities than ever before. Water losses in water networks remain a significant concern worldwide, as it causes water wastage, technical burdens, water contamination, and revenue loss [1]. Since 2000, non-revenue water (NRW) management has been given high priority by policymakers, government officials, utility managers, and professional groups working within the water sector for efficient resource utilization, the commercial viability of water utilities, and the improvement of service provision [2].…”

Análisis, caracterización y modelación 3D de fugas de agua en sistemas de abastecimiento de agua mediante imágenes de GPR

“…Bajo esta hipótesis, las técnicas basadas en software son ideales. Estas técnicas, por lo general, hacen uso de programas informáticos que permiten simular y modelar hidráulicamente las tuberías y accesorios de un WSS (AL-Washali, Elkhider, Sharma, & Kennedy, 2020), haciendo uso de datos obtenidos con sensores de presión y/o flujo instalados en los nodos de la red. Algunos programas que permiten modelar numéricamente un sistema se enumeran a conti- Tsitsifli & Kanakoudis, 2010;Klingel & Knobloch, 2015).…”