By reducing losses[1](also called non-revenue water (NRW)) - amounting in some cases up to 50% of the water supply available for the consumer - countries may double the availability of this resource, reduce unbilled consumption and increase revenues for the concerned utilities.  As reported in this recent study Algeria, Israel, Jordan, and Morocco managed to increase their available water supply by cutting their water losses.

Hereafter is a short description of the best practices used by the above-mentioned countries:

1. Implementation of water loss surveys (both administrative, through customers interviews, and physical, to locate sources of physical losses) is a practice implemented in Israel that allows the water corporation to understand which elements of the system contribute most to non-revenue water (NRW)and, accordingly, helps guide planning for investment. This practice is promoted as the first line of action against NRW. Compared with changing aging systems or implementing new system-wide technologies, the survey costs are low and can be recovered in few months.
2. Detection of losses and leakage repair through pressure management and network modeling were used in Morocco to improve network efficiency and undertake rehabilitation works. The network efficiency increased from 53.3% to 63.3% during eight years, whilethe cost of the investment was recuperated before the end of the eight years.
3. The micro Private Sector Participation (PSP) used in Jordan can be considered as a fast track option for service improvement in preparation for other kinds of PSP in the operation and management of water and wastewater systems. The results included increased water and wastewater revenues and increased collection rates. The secret to the successful implementation of such an experience is to take the necessary time in the preparatory phase to transfer know-how to the local private sector up to the final pre-qualification.
4. Licencing Service Connection Installationin Jordan includes the training and the development of guidelines for improving the performance of staff who supervises the installation and the plumbers executing the work in view of licencing professional installers and supervisors.
5. Service Connection Management Policyin Morocco, the standardization of procurement policies and guidelines, the control of materials and implementation of services, and the provision of assistance to the partners and subcontractors in relation to service connections are profitable practices in the short and medium terms, considering that most of the leakage occurs in service connections.
6. Installation of meters and replacement of old faulty meters is a best practice presented by Algeria, Israel and Morocco; and is identified as part of the existing best practices in Jordan.  Installation of meters, allows managers to understand water consumption in specific sectors of the network and to detect leakages.
7. Pressure managementis another practice that results in high reductions in the physical loss component of the NRW with benefits outweighing costs. It is considered as a cost effective leakage management activity involving reduction in the consumption of energy.  This practice is presented by Jordan and Israel, and has proven technically and financially feasible in mountainous topography in the two countries and under conditions of intermittent water supply in Jordan. The practice however requires availability of funds and know-how. 

Details on each best practice can be found in the study and its annexes.  Countries can pick and choose from the above practices the most fitting and lowest cost practice to gain on their available water.

To download the study click here