Non-Revenue Water in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Jul 14, 2016, 02:31 ET

LONDON, July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Non-Revenue Water in Sub-Saharan Africa : Overview of the Challenges and Opportunities for Reduction of Non-Revenue Water

Sub-Saharan Africa lags behind most regions in the world in the availability, accessibility, and management of water. A key challenge for water utilities here is the high water losses in the water reticulation network. These are physical water losses due to leakages as well as apparent losses due to water theft and improper metering. Together, these losses in the water supply system make up the non-revenue water (NRW) for a utility. South Africa, Tanzania, and Mozambique lose about 35% of their total supplied water as NRW, while Zimbabwe loses about 53%. This research service provides an overview of the current situation of NRW in select Sub-Saharan African nations and the strategies being adopted for its future reduction.

Key Findings

-Until recently, non-revenue water (NRW) was a vastly neglected facet of water supply systems in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) economies, with utilities losing an estimated $ million annually due to NRW.
-South Africa, Tanzania, and Mozambique lose an average % of their total water supplied as NRW, while this statistic is estimated at % for Zimbabwe.
- Non-availability of reliable data and the absence of monitoring techniques have hampered NRW reduction strategies in the region, presenting difficulties in identifying improvement opportunities and in assessing the benefits of implementing performance improvement projects.
- While physical water loss due to leakages is a prominent aspect of NRW in SSA, economic losses due to water theft and metering inadequacies are a significant financial burden on water utilities. These inefficiencies are ultimately covered from end users through increased tariffs.
- The rehabilitation and upgrade of the water infrastructure would entail huge investments; financing this would need to be sourced from stakeholders other than government and development funds coupled with an inconsistent rate of return.
-Under-priced water services, government subsidies, and high NRW are key factors constraining profitable business for water utilities in SSA.
- However, governments and utilities have initiated strategies to reduce their proportion of NRW to ensure sustainable utility operations and provide consistent supply to consumers in the wake of increasing stress on the region's existing water reserves.

Key Questions This Study Will Answer

- What is the situation of water resources and their availability in the target countries?
- What are the population dynamics, historical and future trends relating to rural, urban, and overall population growth?
- What is the water demand and consumption scenario for various sectors?
- What is the NRW situation, historical developments and challenges faced in NRW reduction in the concerned economies?
- How is the NRW situation projected to improve in future and what opportunities are available for private sector participation?
- What factors influence NRW reduction strategies in the target regions?

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