A review of performance indicators for real losses from water supply systems

Abstract

Research Article| October 01 1999 A review of performance indicators for real losses from water supply systems A. O. Lambert; A. O. Lambert *International Water Data Comparisons Ltd Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar T. G. Brown; T. G. Brown †AWWA, North American Representative to UFW Task Force Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar M. Takizawa; M. Takizawa ‡Tokyo Metropolitan Waterworks Japan Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar D. Weimer D. Weimer §Neckarwerke Stuttgart AG, Germany Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua (1999) 48 (6): 227–237. https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.1999.0025 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Cite Icon Cite Permissions Search Site Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll JournalsThis Journal Search Advanced Search Citation A. O. Lambert, T. G. Brown, M. Takizawa, D. Weimer; A review of performance indicators for real losses from water supply systems. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua 1 October 1999; 48 (6): 227–237. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.1999.0025 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex The IWA's Task Force on Unaccounted-for Water (UFW) had two key objectives. The first—Recommendations for a standard international terminology for calculation of real and apparent losses from water balance—is presented as a Blue Pages [1]. As the second—to review performance indicators (PIs) for international comparisons of losses in water supply systems—is only briefly mentioned in the Blue Pages, this AQUA paper explains the technical basis for the task force's recommendations on PIs for real (physical) losses. Traditional PIs were checked against several key local factors which constrain performance in managing real losses. ‘Number of service connections’ was found to be the most consistent of the traditional PIs over the greatest range of density of service connections, and is recommended as the preferred basic traditional technical indicator for real losses (TIRL). However, TIRL does not take account of several key local factors. To overcome this deficiency, TIRL should be compared with an estimate of unavoidable annual real losses (UARL). An auditable component-based approach is developed and satisfactorily tested for predicting UARL for any system, taking into account the local factors and using international data. The infrastructure leakage index (ILI), calculated as the ratio of TIRL to UARL, is a nondimensional PI, which enables overall infrastructure management performance in control of real losses to be assessed independently of the current operating pressures; minimum achievable operating pressures are usually constrained by local topography and standards of service. This content is only available as a PDF. © 1999 IWSA You do not currently have access to this content.