Evaluating Physical and Fiscal Water Leakage in Water Distribution System

Bhagat Bhagat,Salih Salih,Yaseen Yaseen,Al-Ansari Al-Ansari,Tesfaye Tesfaye,Welde Welde,Tiyasha Tiyasha,Tung Tung

doi:10.3390/w11102091

Abstract

With increasing population, the need for research ideas on the field of reducing wastage of water can save a big amount of water, money, time, and energy. Water leakage (WL) is an essential problem in the field of water supply field. This research is focused on real water loss in the water distribution system located in Ethiopia. Top-down and bursts and background estimates (BABE) methodology is performed to assess the data and the calibration process of the WL variables. The top-down method assists to quantify the water loss by the record and observation throughout the distribution network. In addition, the BABE approach gives a specific water leakage and burst information. The geometrical mean method is used to forecast the population up to 2023 along with their fiscal value by the uniform tariff method. With respect to the revenue lost, 42575 Br and 42664 Br or in 1562$ and 1566$ were lost in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The next five-year population was forecasted to estimate the possible amount of water to be saved, which was about 549627 m3 and revenue 65,111$ to make the system more efficient. The results suggested that the majority of losses were due to several components of the distribution system including pipe-joint failure, relatively older age pipes, poor repairing and maintenance of water taps, pipe joints and shower taps, negligence of the consumer and unreliable water supply. As per the research findings, recommendations were proposed on minimizing water leakage.

Highlights

Water leakage is like a worm in the water distribution system where the overall system may look healthy and working efficiently yet it is slowly sucking the life out of it
This paper focuses on the calibration of different variables of water leakage of an educational institute (Ambo University, Ethiopia) such as quantification, addressing the components of Water leakage (WL), and fiscal loss in the location with predictive possibilities of water loss and revenue loss in the four years in the study area
AUWSSE installed the gravitational distribution system due to its slant geographical condition; this study reveals that the slope pattern of Ambo and the campus area itself consists of 10%–15%

Summary

Introduction

Water leakage is like a worm in the water distribution system where the overall system may look healthy and working efficiently yet it is slowly sucking the life out of it. Investigations have been done by many studies. It encompasses the estimation of the amount of WL of a specific site regardless of addressing the leaky location. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, WLA was based on “guess estimation” method than a precise tool [1]. Loss Management (WLM) studies have been increased significantly.

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Conclusion