Public-private partnership for eliminating water losses in water transport networks

Various reasons contribute to why these leaks are not systematically investigated or repaired by some utilities. As with most leakage issues, the fact that they are not visible and that network inefficiencies are already embedded in operational budgets means there is little motivation among operators for their control. The lack of standard methodologies and knowledge of using in-line technologies also contributes to this situation. However, the hidden costs and risks of these leaks add an extra burden on public finances, water reserves, and CO₂ emissions. For example, using an average of 0.5 kg CO₂/kWh and 1 kWh/m³, about 0.5 kg CO₂ is emitted per m³ of water lost in leaks. 

A single transport leak, like the one in Image 1, with a flow of 25 l/s, would result in an unnecessary excess of 394 tCO₂/year in emissions. Imagine how many such leaks could exist in the countless connections of our invisible transport conduits. For these reasons, some countries like the UK have established penalties for utilities that exceed certain levels of NRW, with thresholds typically around 10% as the maximum allowable. The European Commission is also expected to take similar measures soon. Clearly, eliminating a major leak in a transport conduit would be equivalent to fixing several dozen smaller leaks in distribution networks, making it more cost-effective to prioritize and proactively address transport conduits if water savings are the goal.

Opportunity for water-positive companies

While this issue remains unresolved, it presents an opportunity for large industrial water consumers seeking to compensate for their environmental impact. For example, a recent study by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, shows that training AI systems require between 0.1 and 0.5 litres of cooling water per kWh consumed by data centres. This could make AI a major water consumer if it isn’t already. Additionally, producing 1 litre of beer involves using 3 to 5 litres of water in the factory, plus the water footprint from the rest of the production chain, totalling between 40 and 300 litres of water per litre produced, depending on the region and farming techniques. Lastly, producing 1 kg of chicken meat requires between 4,000 and 6,000 litres of water throughout the production process, including cleaning and effluent dilution. The food and beverage, chemical, cosmetic, and data industries are clear examples of major industrial consumers considering water efficiency strategies and are good candidates for committing to reducing their water footprint.

Large industrial water consumers seeking to compensate for their impact may participate in public-private initiatives to reduce losses

This fact highlights what has been known for ages: that water is vital not only for our daily hydration and hygiene but also for human and economic development and will remain so in the future. Due to its enormous relevance to industry and its commitment to sustainable development, companies and movements within these industries are emerging not just to mitigate their water consumption but to return more water to the environment than they use. As mentioned later, this can also be achieved by participating in public-private initiatives to reduce losses. There is no better or more profitable water source than not wasting the water already in the network.

Water-positive and public-private partnership

It's hard to be somewhat connected to social networks and sector media without hearing the words "Water Positive." As early as 2007, the United Nations Secretary-General, in collaboration with other organizations focused on environmental sustainability, launched the CEO Water Mandate initiative (https://ceowatermandate.org), aiming to mobilize and commit a critical mass of business leaders to address global water challenges through corporate water management. What initially sought to mitigate the impact on the water environment soon became a commitment by companies to generate more water than they consumed, benefiting the environment, the population, and regional economic development. Thus, the concept of "Water Positive" was born. Many have associated the goal of becoming water-positive with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, setting that date as the deadline to achieve it.

There are various mechanisms for companies to achieve these goals. They can take actions to reduce water consumption within their own facilities or participate in public-private actions outside their premises that increase water availability in the watersheds from which they draw.

Many types of actions, or replenishment projects, can be developed by water engineering firms for these companies to promote this positive impact, such as effluent treatment for aquifer and wetland recharge, effluent reuse, water re-potabilization through reverse osmosis processes, or, as highlighted today: collaboration in locating and repairing leaks in water transport systems in the watersheds they draw from.

A success story. Requirements and structure

One of the companies most firmly committed to becoming water-positive by 2030 is the global technology leader Microsoft. Microsoft’s Water Positive goal is made up of 5 key pillars: reduce water use intensity, replenish more water than we consume, increase access to water and sanitation services for people across the globe, drive innovation to scale water solutions and advocate for effective water policy. As announced earlier this year, Microsoft, as a funder, and Aganova, as a provider of technological leak detection solutions, signed a contract for water recovery in the Tajo River basin near Madrid. The multi-year contract aims to strengthen and scale the efforts in leak detection and repair that the Mancomunidad de Aguas del Sorbe (MAS) had been undertaking.

Thus, within the framework of the aforementioned project, Aganova is precisely locating leaks, providing the flow rate of each leak, and verifying the volumetric benefit achieved after each leak found is repaired by MAS. These volumetric benefits, or rather, the credit for achieving them, measured in cubic metres saved, are proportionally claimed according to the investments made by each party, allowing them to account for it in their water impact balance.

Within the project, Aganova is locating leaks, providing the flow rate, and verifying the volumetric benefit achieved after they are repaired

Aganova and Microsoft aligned on the following basic requirements for this project: (1) The beneficiary of the detection must commit to repairing the detected leaks within a reasonable time frame; (2) The technological solution used must include innovative components, preferably related to artificial intelligence (as is the case with our Nautilus and Nemo technologies); (3) The solution must benefit the basin that Microsoft operations are sourcing water from.

Of course, when receiving an assignment like this, aspects such as the cost of water savings, in euros invested per cubic metre saved, also come into play. This value already integrates factors such as the initial state of the network and the efficiency of the technology used in kilometres inspected per day, a point where in-line technology, and in particular Nautilus, is extremely competitive.

Conclusions

For a collaborative public-private water loss elimination project in transport conduits to occur, the following are needed: (1) A public operator willing to repair leaks that may exist in its transport network; (2) An industrial sponsor operating in the area and wanting to mitigate its water footprint while benefiting the population and the environment; and (3) A technology company with precise leak detection capabilities in transport conduits and engineering capacities to structure and take responsibility for the project before the sponsor and the public network operator.

The average annual volumes of water savings, energy savings, and CO₂ emissions reductions are considerable. For the example of the leak in Image 1, assuming the presence of one like it every 10 kilometres in a 120 km transport network would save about 9.4 Hm³/year and 4,728 tCO₂/year.

Combining forces with private sponsors who support new technologies not only benefits them and water network managers in terms of environmental sustainability but also definitively boosts innovative technologies that will help solve water problems when we need it most.