AIDFI, partners finish water loss reduction training

AIDFI and its partners, the EB Magalona Water Works and the Murcia Water District, finished an intensive Non-Revenue Water Management Training at the Maynilad Water Academy last June 3-5.

Titled “NRW Management for Water Service Providers”, the three-day training workshop focused on identifying the causes / sources of non-revenue water (NRW), formulating a program and designing a strategy to reduce and manage the NRW.

The NRW is the difference between the amount of water that is produced by a water utility or water service provider for consumption and use of its consumers, and the amount of water that is actually billed. Simply put, the NRW is water that is produced but which is not billed and does not translate to revenue for the water utility.

If left unmanaged, high NRW level will result to financial losses to the water utility and poor service to water consumers, in terms of less number of hours of water availability and weak water pressure.

Central to the learnings of the participants was the use of the water balance as the most appropriate tool to assess a water utility’s NRW. The water balance is a mathematical formula used to account for each and every cubic meter produced by the water utility, so that the main sources of NRW can be identified and properly addressed.

Participants also tried their hands on Maynilad’s state-of-the-art water leak detection equipment and witnessed Maynilad’s water meter calibration processes.  

Key Maynilad NRW personnel who shared their knowledge on NRW Management was headed by Engr. Romalyn U. Malsi, head of Maynilad’s NRW Solutions and Services.

The participants from EB Magalona Water Works were Jessil Plaza-Casilagan, Engr. Frenie Torrechiva, Jecy Jan Lorio and Jojo Ortizo, while Murcia Water District was represented by Engrs. Paul Oňas, Lean Arriesgado and Rhemark Lava.

The AIDFI team was headed by co-founder and CEO Auke Idzenga, COO Che Idzenga, consultants Tom de Veer and Raffy Butch Bacaoco, HR & Administrative Manager Hedeliza Vasquez, Operations Manager Cherie Gomez and technical personnel Meljover Sustento and Racel Alera.

The Maynilad training is part of a two-year collaborative program between AIDFI and its partner water utilities to study and properly manage the water utility’s NRW losses. The program is funded by the Coca-Cola Foundation, in line with its mother company’s commitment to help ensure water sufficiency and safety for future generations.