Building Efficiency > Energy Efficiency & Sustainability > Water Technology > Leaks, Losses and Assessments
Leaks, Losses and Assessments
Water loss is estimated at 10-20% in distribution systems throughout the U.S. By analyzing water usage throughout your distribution system, Johnson Controls can help identify real water losses and apparent water losses, and then help you control your water loss situation.
The economic impact of water loss is significant. Distribution line breaks can be devastating, but chronic service line failures that go undetected can be equally devastating, and often worse. Approximately 80% of all real water losses can be attributed to small leaks at service connections. If water flows into the storm drainage system, it may then be treated at the wastewater treatment plant, thereby incurring additional costs.
Consider the Costs of Water Loss
- Energy to pump and treat water, that is subsequently lost
- Infrastructure damage caused by leaking water
- Lost revenue for water and sewer
- Additional pressure on wastewater plant
- Depletion of water resources, especially where water is already scarce
Johnson Controls has solutions for your leaks, losses and assessment challenges. Our professional teams of water experts can help you identify where and how your treated water is being consumed or lost.
Solutions for Controlling Water Loss
- Leak detection
- Pressure management
- Metering usage with correctly sized and typed meters
- Automated Meter Reading
- Periodic meter testing
- System-wide review of operations
- Business review services based on billing data
- Identify and address billing system errors
Understanding your “water balance” is a good place to start controlling water loss. Water balance is an accounting of all water uses - residential, commercial, firefighting, hydrant flushing, etc. Many utilities that are armed with an outline of their water balance can implement a standard set of programs for water conservation, water reuse and water loss control.
Water loss control is particularly critical when it focuses on lost water that has been treated ("energized"). Loss-control programs can recover revenue by withdrawing less water, maintaining infrastructure capacity, and lowering operating costs.
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The American Water Works Association (AWWA) Water Loss Control Committee introduced a best practice report and free "Water Audit Software" which is available for download at the WaterWiser website. To learn about the software and how to apply it to your water utility, read the report: “Applying Worldwide Best Management Practices in Water Loss Control.” Then download the free report and software: click here |
Water utilities are encouraged to perform an IWA/AWWA water audit on an annual basis as a standard business practice. The AWWA recommendation is to account for all water supplied by a water utility and avoid all references to “unaccounted-for” water. The focus should be on valid consumption or wasteful losses only. The costs – both opportunity costs and real costs -- associated with non-revenue water should be determined. Johnson Controls can help.
