LWUA: Only 11% of water districts meet NRW levels

MANILA, Philippines — Only 11 percent of the country’s 532 water districts meet the acceptable benchmark for non-revenue water (NRW) losses, the Local Water Utilities Administration announced.

According to LWUA, 62 local water districts have reduced their NRW levels below the acceptable 20 percent benchmark.

NRW refers to water produced but not billed due to physical losses such as leaks or commercial losses tied to metering and system inefficiencies.

Cutting water losses allows local water districts to maximize their supply while also easing the need to tap new sources to compensate for water loss.

LWUA administrator Jose Moises Salonga said building resilient water systems requires long-term investment and making the most of water supplies.

“By helping local water districts reduce losses, strengthen their operations and improve their financial capacity, we help them provide more reliable services to the communities they serve,” Salonga said.

To further support the reduction in water losses, LWUA said that it supports water districts through technical assistance, performance monitoring, capacity-building, financing and institutional support.

Salonga stressed that further reduction in NRW will support water supply for the expected drought to be caused by El Niño, as prolonged dry conditions could reduce available sources and place additional pressure on local water systems.