As governments, organizations and companies around the world reflect on the importance of World Water Loss Day, we are thinking about the impact of water loss that many communities nationwide may not be aware of. World Water Loss Day, recently established by the Water Loss Specialist Group of the International Water Association (IWA), is scheduled on Dec. 4 each year to raise awareness about the problem of losing water from drinking water distribution systems.
As noted by the IWA, more than 91 billion gallons of water are lost through our drinking water supply networks every day across the globe. If this volume of water loss was reduced by just 30 percent, 800 million people could be supplied with already treated water.
Closer to home, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. utilities lose 1.7 trillion gallons per year through distribution system leaks, at a cost of $2.6 billion. Much of this wasted, treated water is lost through the 240,000 water main breaks that take place annually across the United States. And with many older pipes outlasting their intended life expectancy, break rates have seen an increase of 27 percent over the last six years.
While considering these facts, water utilities nationwide can now experience lower water loss, a reduction in costly main breaks, increases in operational efficiency, and a higher level of environmental sustainability through 24/7 system monitoring as a service. Aquify is proud to be here for our communities, leveraging the resources of one of the nation’s largest energy companies in order to help utilities get ahead of losing water and aging infrastructure.