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Here's a fact that often gets overlooked in conversations about the global water crisis: the challenge is not only about finding and treating more water. It is also about making sure that the water already produced actually reaches the people it is meant to serve.

The industry has a name for this: non-revenue water (NRW). It refers to water that enters a water supply system but does not generate revenue for the utility. NRW can include physical losses such as leaks and overflows, as well as apparent losses caused by metering inaccuracies, data-handling errors or unauthorised consumption, along with authorised water use that is not billed.

The scale is significant. An International Water Association study estimated global NRW at around 346 million cubic metres per day, or approximately 126 billion cubic metres a year. Using a conservative value of USD 0.31 per cubic metre, the study estimated the cost/value of this water at around USD 39 billion annually. The authors also note that these figures are estimates and that better data would help refine them.

That makes reducing water losses an important part of improving the efficiency and sustainability of water supply systems. When physical losses are reduced, utilities can make better use of water that has already been treated and pumped, potentially reducing the need for additional production and associated energy and treatment costs.

Where the Fix Actually Lives

Reducing NRW requires more than replacing pipes. It involves a combination of sound infrastructure, pressure management, monitoring, metering, leak detection, maintenance and effective network management.

The pipe remains an important part of that equation. Pipe material, joint design, installation quality, operating conditions and maintenance all influence the long-term performance of a water network.

Ductile Iron pipes are widely used for critical water infrastructure because of their strength, durability and ability to withstand demanding operating conditions. Properly designed, installed and protected ductile iron pipelines can have a service life of 100 years or more, while their resistance to external loads and pressure-related stresses makes them suitable for major transmission and distribution applications.

But the pipe is only one part of the system. Joints matter too. Well-designed and properly installed joints help maintain system integrity and reduce the potential for leakage over the life of the network.

Valves are equally important, even though they often receive less attention. Properly located isolation valves allow utilities to divide networks into manageable sections, making it possible to isolate smaller portions of a system when maintenance or repairs are required rather than interrupting supply across a much larger area.

Control valves can also help utilities manage pressure within a network. Since excessive or poorly controlled pressure can contribute to leakage and infrastructure stress, appropriate pressure management is an important part of water-loss control.

Check valves serve another important function by helping prevent reverse flow when pumping conditions change. Together, these different valve applications support safer, more controlled and more manageable water distribution networks.