Post by NIRAS

Water loss is rising – new global figures give cause for reflection 💧📊💡 Every year, vast amounts of treated drinking water are lost before reaching consumers. Reducing this loss is one of the most effective ways to strengthen water supply systems worldwide. New figures presented at the recent IWA Water Loss 2026 conference highlight both the scale of the challenge – and signs of progress. According to Alan Wyatt, member of the IWA Water Loss Specialist Group, global non-revenue water (NRW) has developed as follows: 📈 In 2024, global NRW reached 149 billion m³, up from 120 billion m³ in 2015   📈 At the same time, access to piped water increased from 4.5 billion to 5.75 billion people 📉 As a result, water loss per capita has decreased by around 8% “So while total losses are rising, efficiency is improving – but there is still a long way to go. Water loss is a combination of physical losses, measurement uncertainties and unregistered consumption – which makes NRW a complex challenge to tackle,” explains Klavs Høgh, NRW expert at NIRAS, who also attended the recent conference in Rio de Janeiro. “Even in countries like Denmark, where we are among the best in the world, measuring water loss is far from straightforward. Meter inaccuracies, data gaps, estimation methods and unregistered consumption all add layers of uncertainty. In many systems, understanding water loss becomes a complex data challenge,” he adds. At NIRAS, we work at the intersection of engineering, data and operations to help utilities better understand – and reduce – water loss. From contributing to international guidelines to developing improved methods for estimating leakage, our specialists are helping advance the field of leakage management globally. Because every cubic metre saved strengthens resilience and efficiency in water supply systems. #IWA #WaterLoss #NonRevenueWater

Video Content