The role of Water Operator Partnership in accelerating adoption of new working process for non-revenue water reduction: a case study – Waterworx WOP between Perumda Air Minum Tirta Moedal and VEI

ABSTRACT This paper presents the approach, results, and contributing factors to success of a Non-Revenue Water (NRW) reduction intervention in a Water Operator Partnership (WOP) between Perumda Air Minum Tirta Moedal Kota Semarang (PDAM Semarang) and VEI Dutch Water Operators (VEI). This paper makes a case for the prioritisation of small but smart operational investment to improve the water use efficiency (SDG 6.4) in infrastructure development programmes which typically focus on expanding network coverage (SDG 6.1) alone. The successful intervention is hinged on VEI's international track record, and PDAM's commitment to performance improvement. VEI training and coaching focused on strengthening the NRW management organisation, working processes, and skills to conduct top-down assessments by quantifying NRW components with historical data, localize leaks with live flow/pressure data, and pinpoint/repair leaks through active leak detection. PDAM staff demonstrated a steep learning curve by spearheading the establishment of a dedicated NRW department and sharpening its leak detection procedures to reduce NRW levels from 39 to 26% in 5 months in the pilot area. The evaluated business case revealed that the relatively small investment (USD 60.000) was recovered within 1.2 years.