Page 93 - Water Loss Control

CHAPTER 7

Evaluating Water Losses—

Using a Standardized Water

Audit and Performance

Indicators

Reinhard Sturm
George Kunkel, P.E.
Julian Thornton

7.1 Introduction
A standardized International Water Association’s (IWA)/American Water Works Asso-
ciation (AWWA) water balance provides the water utility with the necessary results and
understanding of the nature and extent of its water
losses. Subsequently, the water utility will be able to
select the appropriate tools for intervention against Compiling a reliable water
real and apparent losses. audit or water balance is the
Just as businesses routinely prepare statements
critical first step in managing
of debits and credits for their customers, and banks water losses in public water
provide statements of monies flowing into and out
of accounts, a water audit displays how quantities supplies.
of water flow into and out of the distribution system
and to the customer. Yet, as essential and commonplace as financial audits are to the
world of commerce, water audits have been surprisingly uncommon in the world of
public water supply throughout most of the world. In places where the intrinsic value
of water has not been recognized, little motivation has existed to prompt requirements
for auditing and sound assessments of water loss performance. As water is becoming a
more valued commodity, however, this picture is beginning to change and Chap. 4 has

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