Apparently, You’re Losing Water…and Money

Understanding and Addressing Apparent Losses to Better Manage Non-Revenue Water

By John Van Arsdel

Water utilities are faced with water loss issues that have long lasting impacts on their ability to function properly and efficiently and its ability to derive revenue from what it does daily. The very basics of how revenue is generated is tied to the utility’s water meters and the way the billing system functions. Basically, a water meter is a cash register, and without proper metering and accounting of water uses, utilities lose money because they are not receiving fair compensation for what they are providing to customers. Metering water provides a basis of assessing users equitably and encourages responsible and efficient use of a precious resource.