Cutting Our Losses: State Policies to Track and Reduce Leakage from Public Water Systems

Every water system leaks. Altogether, billions of gallons of water are lost every day from U.S. drinking water systems. As states and communities contend with the twin challenges of an aging water infrastructure and a changing climate, leaky water systems threaten the quality and reliability of our drinking water.

Some states are leading the way by requiring best practices for estimating, locating, and reducing leaks. Yet many states and cities are not acting and remain woefully uninformed about the true volume of water losses beneath their streets.

Click on a state to find out what policies are being adopted to report water losses accurately and set targets for water loss reduction. Click on the faucet icon to view an actual water loss audit report in the format recommended by the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

In conjunction with World Water Loss Day on December 4, 2020, AWWA has released the 6th version of the AWWA Free Water Audit Software. Fifteen years since its first release, this new version of the software incorporates over 1,000 improvements from user-provided comments and has additional new features such as the Interactive Data Grading feature and the Performance Indicator Dashboard to visualize current performance and potential improvements. This software also now accommodates a wider range of water system setups and has improved its user interface to quantify and track water losses in the water distribution system and improve efficiency and cost recovery more easily.

Click here to learn more about this tool and download the newest version of the Free Water Audit Software.

Model state legislation

Click here for model state legislation, which can be adapted for use by states that do not yet have the full suite of water loss policies recommended on this website. 

Several states have introduced bills similar to our model, such as Hawaii's SB 2645, Indiana's SB 347, Colorado's HB 16-1283, and New Jersey's A 2696 and S 1742.

New water loss manual now available

The new fourth edition of Water Audits and Loss Control Programs (M36), an essential reference manual published by the American Water Works Association, is now available. M36 is a vital tool for preparing an effective water loss control program. This resource helps drinking water utilities of all sizes to discover how much water is being lost due to leakage, meter error, or water theft. With a clear explanation of the standard water audit methodology and some of the best loss control techniques, this manual empowers water professionals to determine the cost of uncaptured revenue from the non-revenue water (NRW) and minimize future losses. The new M36 offers progressive thinking and even more solutions on the road to accountable water management.

Water audit “validation” explained

While the first step in understanding water leaks and losses is to perform a water audit using AWWA methodology, what makes an audit accurate and reliable? To help address the need for reliable audit reports, the Water Research Foundation has produced two documents on water audit validation, a guidance manual and a research report. The process of validation is explained and a standardized approach to Level 1 validation is laid out.

Water losses in your community

A sustainable community needs a reliable and efficient water delivery system—for public health, fire safety, and good environmental stewardship. The level of water losses from the distribution system can also be seen as an indicator of a community's ability to manage its financial and physical assets. To find out what your community is doing to quantify, locate, and reduce water losses, here are the eight key questions that any citizen, local official, or reporter could ask of your local water supplier to begin a constructive discussion about the condition of your own water system.

Benefits and costs of water loss audits

How much does a water loss audit cost, and how much savings can it help generate for water utilities? Click here for summary of available information from case studies around the country.