Accurately Measuring Network Leakage

The pressures of supplying a growing global population mean that the world’s water supplies need to be managed more closely than ever. Estimates from the United Nations point to a 50 percent increase in water withdrawals in developing countries by 2025 and by 18 percent in developed countries. With a finite amount of water available for consumption, meeting this demand requires a combination of finding and treating new sources of water, including seawater, and stemming leakage losses in water distribution networks.

The World Bank has estimated that over 32 billion cubic meters of water are lost through leakage, with network losses as high as up to 50 percent in some countries.