A new set of water losses-related performance indicators focused on areas facing water scarcity conditions

Abstract

As almost all Mediterranean countries are facing water scarcity problems today, water losses in drinking water supply networks have grown to an urgent problem, needing immediate confrontation, representing a too valuable to be neglected water potential. The first step towards water losses reduction is the water supply network performance assessment process. The most commonly used methodology is the one introduced by the International Water Association (IWA), including the International Standard Water Balance and a list of Performance Indicators (PIs). Five years after the second PIs handbook edition was launched increasing the PIs included to 170 from 133 of the first edition, there is a need to re-evaluate them, including also new PIs adapted/focused to regional conditions and addressing other important topics such as environmental issues. The paper presents a new set of water losses-related PIs, focused on areas facing water scarcity conditions met in the Mediterranean countries, forming a solid basis for an integrated Decision Support System (DSS) to evaluate water supply networks and prioritize alternative water losses reduction strategies. The new set includes 75 out of the 170 IWA PIs and 42 new proposed PIs. The new PIs set is formed, selecting the most appropriate existing PIs and suggesting new ones. An integrated approach using a survey among local stakeholders in each partner’s country is used. The platform and the basic components of this user-friendly DSS tool are also being presented here.