Due to the activities of the Water Loss Task Force, Utilities are becoming increasingly encouraged to measure inflows to small distribution systems. However, in the experience of the Authors, there are two common problems. Firstly, new potential users are often discouraged by the high initial cost of permanent metering and data transmission. Secondly, they are unaware that pressure measurements, together with the flow data, often allows rapid quantification of water loss management opportunities without the need for setting up detailed network analysis models.
The paper will explain the type of broad conclusions that can be obtained from occasional reliable measurements of Zone inflows with portable equipment and the additional conclusions and predictions that can be obtained from pressure measurements at a few selected locations.
The paper will also describe a low cost data transfer by e-mail and a software that will allow users to quickly identify an economic frequency of intervention for an active leakage control.