AWWA JAW56672

Nonrevenue water (NRW), mainly caused from leaking pipes and other sources of wasted water, is a concern to water utilities around the world. Some countries have very low NRW levels, such as the Netherlands with just 5% of its water lost to NRW. Other countries, and very often developing countries, have NRW levels many times that rate, some more than 60%. Most countries experience NRW levels of between 20 and 30%. In recent years, Bangladesh has faced severe water system leakage not only in its capital and large cities but also in medium-sized cities. Four medium-sized cities, Kushtia, Sylhet, Cox's Bazar, and Pabna, estimated their respective NRW in 1992-93 as 22, 40, 42, and 52%. This water loss affects about 1 million people. To reduce the high rate of NRW to an acceptable level in medium-sized cities throughout the country, the Local Government Engineering Department conducted a leakage control study in the four subject cities to examine the currently deteriorating situation of the existing water supply systems, including unacceptable leakage levels. The study provided new methods and approaches to upgrade the water distribution networks by controlling leakage and implementing remedial measures to bring NRW down to a satisfactory level. Includes 25 references, tables, figures.