Evidence-Based Water Loss Management: Development and Deployment of a Mobile DMA Testing Unit

There is a strong connection between water supply and energy consumption which, considering trends towards reducing system stresses, provides an opportunity to take advantage of the synergies associated with leakage reduction and energy conservation. In recognition of these synergies, a multi-year project has been initiated in Ontario through funding from the province’s Independent Electricity System Operator to promote water loss reduction practices. The project involves the development and deployment of a mobile testing unit designed as an affordable method to accurately and reliably measure minimum night flow (MNF), an indicator of leakage, into discrete sectors of water distribution systems commonly referred to as district metered areas (DMAs). In addition to flow monitoring, the mobile unit is equipped with a pressure reducing valve (PRV) to directly test the effectiveness of pressure moderation on leakage reduction. More broadly, the project involves the collection of data across 22 DMA sites in Ontario with results informing the development and application of evidence-based benchmarking metrics used to assess the performance of DMAs in similar municipalities elsewhere. Moreover, analyses of the project’s testing results, previous DMA work and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) data are presented to support the establishment of MNF benchmarks (representing healthy systems). While this project is still ongoing, initial successes have proven the mobile testing unit concept and substantial value has already been realized. Accordingly, a case study is featured where exceptional savings were demonstrated and quantified as a result of intervention efforts informed by the project.