Tackling challenges of NRW losses

Water scarcity, rapid urban growth, geopolitical complexities and aging infrastructure compound efficient management of water resources, according to Idrica*, which recommends modernising infrastructure, upgrading metering systems, administrative and legal reforms and digital transformation as solutions.

WTATER is an essential resource, especially in arid and semi-arid parts of the world such as the Middle East. However, one of the most pressing issues this region has to deal with is non-revenue water (NRW) losses. This phenomenon brings significant economic losses for water utilities and exacerbates the already precarious water situation in the region.

Non-revenue water refers to water that is produced and distributed but does not generate revenue for utilities because it is lost before it reaches the customer. This can be due to a number of reasons, including infrastructure leaks, illegal connections, metering errors and administrative failures.

Non-revenue water is divided into three main categories:

Real losses: Physical losses in the system, such as through leaks in pipes, tanks and fixtures;

Apparent losses: Non-physical leaks in the system, caused by metering errors, illegal connections, fraud and incorrect billing; and

Unbilled authorised consumption: Water used by the water supply system itself for maintenance and other non-commercial purposes.

As the World Bank points out in its report "The Challenge of Reducing Non-Revenue Water in Developing Countries", this problem accounts for approximately 35 per cent of the water produced worldwide. This huge figure has negative consequences in terms of natural resource economics, as well as service quality. However, if we look at data in the Middle East, the situation is even more worrying. According to statistics from the World Bank and other public agencies, countries such as Lebanon (48 per cent), Jordan (50 per cent), Iraq (60 per cent), Palestine (40 per cent) and Egypt (34 per cent) have some of the world's highest rates of non-revenue water, which underscores the importance of urgently tackling this issue.

CHALLENGES OF NRW IN THE MIDDLE EAST