Is Water Cheap?

 There is a real problem of water scarcity around the world but there is also another phenomenon known

 as non-revenue water (NRW), that is treated water that is lost in the water distribution system due to

leakages in the pipe or theft. It is really ironic that although we need more water, water is lost because it 

is assumed it is cheaper to waste the water than to fix the pipes. The real question is water cheap? It is 

viewed as cheap based on the water tariff however the true cost of water is hidden in every aspect of the

 economy in terms of manufacturing, generation of electricity, and production of food. This article 

highlights some excerpts from my thesis to illustrate the problem of water loss and how much can be

 saved by saving water.

"The global population from 2011 to 2050 is estimated to increase by 33 percent, growing from7.0 billion to 9.3 billion. Moreover, populations in urban areas are projected to double from 3.6 billion in 2011 to 6.3 billion in 2050. Water demands are increasing by 64 billion cubic meters (2.2 trillion cubic feet) per year (UNDESA, 2016)and it will increase throughout all sectors of the economy, while, at the same time, water supplies will become more variable and less predictable. In fact, estimates suggest that within the next three decades, the global food system will require between 40 to 50 % more water; municipal and industrial water demand will increase by 50 to 70 %; the energy sector will see water demand increase by 85%; and the environment, already the residual claimant, may receive even less (World Bank, 2016).

Despite the looming water scarcity, an overwhelming amount of treated water is lost in the water supply distribution system around the world each year due to leaks in water pipelines, as high as 32 billion cubic meters (Kingdom, Liemberger & Marin, 2006). It is estimated that about 30 percent of global water abstraction is lost through leakage (Kingdom et al., 2006; Danilenko et al., 2014). Developed countries were not spared from this problem (Mackenzie and Seago, 2005), with water loss in cities like London reaching 25% and the leakage rates for Malta, Norway, England and Wales, Australia and California were recorded as 43, 32, 26,15 and 6% respectively (Lambert, 2002). The World Bank estimated water utilities worldwide loose an estimated US$ 14 billion of water through leakages every year (Kingdom et al., 2006). Bahrain, as a country on the top of the list of most water scarce countries in 2040, had NRW of 40% in 2010. Other countries like Algeria (54%, 2010), Pakistan (57%, 2012), Kyrgyzstan (77%, 2011), Turkey (59%, 2008), all had high NRW percentages despite having water crisis (IBNET, 2014).

The water that is lost has negative environmental impacts and no economic benefit. Ironically, it is in the developing countries that already suffer from poor water quality and infrequent supply, that most water is lost. By reducing water leakage by half of the current level, water utilities in developing countries could provide 90 million people with eight billion cubic meters of treated water, without stressing water resources. It is not necessary to build other water infrastructure to meet water demands as an addition of US$2.9 billion can be gained by just fixing the leaks. (ibid).

The pipe leakages are an indication of ageing infrastructure that reflects deferred maintenance. By 2030, the cost of maintenance and rehabilitation of water infrastructure globally will be USD 10 trillion and USD 114 billion per year is required globally to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 which is related to water and sanitation and yet only one third of the amount has been raised. (Michell,2016). Fixing leakages are one of the easiest ways to conserve water instead of expanding water supply."