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ReviewedLast reviewed: 2026-06-18

Non-Revenue Water

Non-revenue water (NRW) is water that has been produced but is 'lost' before reaching customers — through physical leakage, metering inaccuracy, or unauthorized use. Reducing NRW is one of the highest-value levers in utility management, especially across rapidly urbanizing Asia.

Why it matters

Every cubic metre of non-revenue water is treated and pumped but never paid for, wasting energy and chemicals and straining scarce supplies. The IWA standard water balance separates real losses (leakage) from apparent losses (metering and theft), guiding targeted intervention.

Reduction combines pressure management, active leakage control, district-metered areas, rapid repair and meter renewal — increasingly enabled by acoustic sensors, flow analytics and digital-twin models. It is a core demand line for the digital-water sector.

References
  1. [1]The IWA Water Balance and Non-Revenue Water Performance Indicators. IWA Publishing, 2000.
  2. [2]The Challenge of Reducing Non-Revenue Water. World Bank / PPIAF, 2016.