Rapid population growth in Southeast Asia (SEA), along with accelerated urbanisation and industrialisation has put tremendous pressure on the region’s depleting freshwater resources. Many countries in the region including Singapore, Vietnam and Myanmar are expected to face high water stress in the coming years. One of the major challenges affecting several utilities in the SEA is the prevalence of high non-revenue water (NRW) levels. While Malaysia has average NRW levels of 35 per cent, Indonesia has 33 per cent and Vietnam 30 per cent. Singapore has the lowest NRW rate of 5 per cent. In the past few years, various measures such as the establishment of district metering areas (DMAs), installation of smart meters, adoption of IT solutions to track usage through the distribution network, etc., have been undertaken to efficiently manage scarce resources and ensure provision of good quality services.
Southeast Asia Infrastructure reviews the NRW reduction strategies of selected utilities in the region…
Singapore
Over the past few decades, Singapore has successfully transformed itself from being a water-scarce nation into a world leader in water management. The country’snational water agency, the Public Utilities Board (PUB), has played a central role in creating a robust water supply network. To boost water security and expand supply, Singapore has reduced its unaccounted water from about 9.5 per cent in 1990 to around 5 per cent in recent years, which is one of the lowest NRW rates in the world. All water connections in Singapore are metered and there are no illegal connections. Moreover, PUB ensures that its new water pipeline network is developed using high quality material and fittings. It has also implemented pipeline replacement programmes to upgrade and renew the existing network. The utility has been a forerunner in the adoption of advanced technologies to improve operational efficiency and minimise water losses.
PUB has installed an extensive network of sensors to monitor the health and performance of the water, drainage and used water networks. The sensors enable water managers to detect leaks and bursts in real time and take quick remedial action. Further, it is also working towards deploying a pre-emptive leak management system that will use data analytics to detect potential pipeline failures. The use of analytics will allow PUB to identify and prioritise high-risk pipelines for renewal.
Further, it is also planning to install smart water meters across Singapore. With smart meters, water consumption will be read automatically several times a day and transmitted accurately and remotely back to PUB. This will improve resource efficiency and augment PUB’s capabilities in early leak detection within the water supply network and in customers’ premises. The utility has already rolled out the first phase of the Smart Water Meter Programme, which involves the installation of 300,000 smart meters in new and existing residential, commercial and industrial premises by 2023. Two successful pilot trials have already been conducted in the Punggol and Yuhua regions in 2016 and 2018 respectively. As part of the trial, 800 households were given advanced metering infrastructure-enabled water meters that register and transmit water usage readings to PUB. The participating households were able to achieve water savings averaging 5 per cent of their monthly usage through early leak detection and easy adoption of water saving habits.
Philippines
Several measures have been undertaken by the two water concessionaires – Maynilad Water Services, Inc. and Manila Water Services, Inc. – to reduce NRW levels in Metro Manila. Maynilad, the west zone concessionaire, successfully reduced its average NRW to 29.76 per cent in 2018 from around 68 per cent 12 years ago. It has recovered around 979 million litres per day (mld) of water since 2008 when it first launched its NRW programme. The recovered volume is enough to supply around 1.7 million households with potable water. This additional supply has helped Maynilad expand services and serve previously unserved areas.
Around PhP 25 billion has been invested by Maynilad in NRW management over the past 12 years. Some of the key measures undertaken by the water company are pipe replacement, active leakage control, network diagnostics, meter replacements and DMA management. It has invested in plant metering technology to generate more accurate NRW data. In 2018, it was able to successfully measure the output of its La Mesa Treatment Plants 1 and 2, allowing it to calculate the total NRW level. Previously, NRW was monitored only up to the DMA level. Besides, the utility also replaced 256 km of old pipes during the year.
Further, it has also strengthened its leak detection capabilities by investing in its second Sahara leak detection equipment that allows inspections without interrupting services. The Sahara leak detection equipment, which was first acquired in 2010, has enabled the company to examine more than 830 km of primary pipelines and resolve more than 1,000 pipe leak incidents. The equipment uses an acoustic sensor and enables Maynilad engineers to conduct audio and visual inspection inside pipes without shutting down water supply to customers. The utility has also undertaken a massive meter implementation drive. Since 2012, it has consistently earmarked resources to replace small meters installed from 2005. This has resulted in improved billing accuracy and reduced instances of meter malfunction.
The east zone concessionaire, Manila Water, has also implemented a comprehensive NRW programme to reduce water losses in distribution lines. The company has undertaken several NRW reduction activities including leak detection, pipe replacement, meter inspection and calibration. It has also developed an enterprise GIS to ensure real-time access to all geographic information, and mapping all water meters and service pipes. It has also interfaced its GIS with DMA management to monitor NRW and the pressure level. Through the programme, the concessionaire has recovered an average of 780 mld per year since 1997. This has not only contributed to network efficiency but also provided additional water supply.
Malaysia
Malaysia has recorded high NRW rates of over 35 per cent in the past decade. Besides, there is also a high degree of variation in NRW rates among its states. In the past few years, several measures have been taken by the Malaysian government to reduce water losses and improve the quality of water supply. The government has also incorporated a water resource management strategy into its five-year development plans. It aims to reduce NRW to 31 per cent by the end of the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (2016-20).
Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP), Pengurusan Air Selangor Sendirian Berhad (Air Selangor) and Ranhill SAJ Sendirian Berhad, water distributors in Malaysia, have undertaken some noteworthy initiatives to reduce system losses. PBAPP, the private operator in Penang, has invested in the rehabilitation of the pipeline system and the replacement of faulty meters to lower water losses. Besides, it continuously monitors data from all its water treatment plants, pump houses, treated water reservoirs and pressure sensors at major pipelines to improve NRW management.
Air Selangor reduced its average NRW level by 3.45 per cent from 32.18 per cent in 2017 to 28.73 per cent in 2019. This was achieved through intensive planning and continuous implementation of several initiatives. The company significantly reduced its pipe burst cases from 3,871 cases in 2018 to 2,787 cases in 2019. As for pipe leak cases, the number of incidents increased from 104,033 in 2018 to 108,759 in 2019. The increase was a result of the active leak detection programme carried out by the company. Besides, water loss rates were also reduced by installing sensors on the main pipes to enable water pressure monitoring and pressure transient detection.
Ranhill SAJ, which is responsible for water supply services in Johor, has undertaken various measures to minimise water losses. The company has established around five smart DMAs in its service area. As part of the smart DMA programme, a technology trial involving the installation of 295 remote correlating noise loggers was conducted. The loggers were installed at hydrant valves, air release valves and on exposed fittings along the pipeline. They use GPRS communication to transmit daily noise data to remotely locate leaks in water distribution networks. Besides, the loggers are deployed in underground chambers and require no outlay on surface-level equipment. The leak location results can be viewed on a cloud-based data collection platform for water network pressure, flow and leak location monitoring. This allows Ranhill’s on-the-ground leakage crews to manage the incidents efficiently and effectively. The technology trial has helped Ranhill in saving 705 cubic metres of water per day, leading to cost savings of $4,000 per month. The company intends to expand implementation of the smart DMA concept across Johor state to reduce NRW levels to 5 per cent by 2025.
Conclusion
Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Rising population and increasing urbanisation and industrialisation have put the region’s finite water resources under stress. In such a scenario, efficient water management along with reduction in NRW levels can help utilities improve services, enhance financial performance and increase climate resilience. In the past few years, various measures have been undertaken to reduce water losses in the region and there has been significant improvement in certain countries. However, countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, etc., still continue to suffer from high water losses. Going forward, the creation of smart water networks through the use of innovative technologies such as sensors and smart meters, predictive maintenance, etc., will play an important role in limiting losses and bolstering water security in the region.
