Estimated
Water loss from Leaking Pipelines |
Loss |
Location |
Source |
| 50% |
Boston, 1977 |
EPA*** |
| 36% |
Boston, more recently after leak
detection initiatives |
EPA*** |
| 81 billion gallons per year |
California |
EPA*** |
| 10-30% |
Canadian Supply Systems |
Environment Canada
(www.ec.gc.ca) |
25-30%
(with some municipalities up to 60%) |
Canadian drinking water |
National Research Council
of Canada (publication June 1998) |
| around 20%, average |
Canadian municipalities, water
distribution system losses and unaccounted-for water |
Environment Canada Report (2004).
"Threats to Water Availability in Canada". National Water Research Institute,
Burlington, Ontario. NWRI Scientific Assessment Report Series No. 3 and ACSD Science
Assessment Series No. 1. |
| 9-10% of water pumped into the system
(Toronto Water staff estimate) |
Canada, Toronto |
Toronto Star, January 20, 2007
(GTA section, P. B4-B5, article by John Spears) |
| 25% |
"cities" |
www.epsrc.ac.uk |
| around 30% |
Damascus
(aging piping system) |
Marq de Villiers: "Water",
Stoddart Publishing Co., 1999.
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, www.jcpa.org (Jerusalem Letter, 1994) |
around 40% due to leaks
(estimate, rural and urban), noting that many water pipelines date back to the 1920's. |
Italy |
U.S. Water News Online, "Dry
Faucets Enrage Italians", July 2002. |
12.5%
(of total water purchases) |
Johannesburg (South Africa) |
Open letter of Johannesburg Water
(Communications and Marketing Dept.) to Sunday Times Newspaper, February 11, 2002 |
| nearly 50% |
London (UK) |
Marq de Villiers: "Water",
Stoddart Publishing Co., 1999. |
more than 55%
(leaks and unlawful use) |
Manila, 1997 |
1997 news release by the
International Finance Corporation |
| 37% |
Mexico City, 1997 |
Mexico Connect
www.mexconnect.com |
| 32% |
Mexico City, 1999 |
Mexico Connect
www.mexconnect.com |
| 40% water losses due to leakage |
Montreal, Canada |
Article in London Free Press March
30, 2004: "More water shortages forecast for communities across nation" by
Dennis Bueckert, Canadian Press |
| 10% |
New York City |
EPA*** |
| nearly 50% |
two towns on West Coast of Norway, prior
to replacement of 35 year old leaking pipes* |
attributed to a project manager |
20%
(corresponding to lost revenues of $150 million per year) |
Ontario (a Canadian Province) |
Ontario Sewer and Watermain
Construction Association - OSWCA (July 10, 2001 General
Media Backgrounder) |
| 32 million liters per day (with some
pipes dating back to 1809 !) |
Portsmouth (UK) |
www.portsmouthwater.co.uk |
| up to 50-70% |
"Norwegian Survey" (results of
which were published in 1985) - details of leaking system(s) location(s) not provided |
referenced in: "Civil
Engeineering Practice", P.N. Cheremisinoff et al. Editors, Technomic Publishing Co,
Inc., Basel, 1988. |
| 35 % |
Seoul, Korea |
Seoul Metropolitan governmnet at
www.metro.seoul.kr/eng/
smg/agenda/2-3.html |
| more than 50% |
certain states of former Soviet Union |
OECD news release** |
| around 10% |
Toronto |
www.city.toronto.on.ca
1998 |
| 3.42 billion litres per day though
leaking water pipes (equivalent to about two full baths per home per day) |
UK (England) |
Weekly Telegraph, August 15-21,
2007, p.15 (article by H. Wallop) |
| up to 30% |
Ukraine |
www.mama-86.kiev.ua |
| average 11% unaccounted-for water |
United States public supply systems
(1980) |
"The Civil Engineering
Handbook", Editor in Chief W.F. Chen, CRC Press, 1995. |
| average 3.3 -12.7 % unaccounted-for water |
United States public water systems, in
different geographic regions |
F. van der Leeden et al.:
"The Water Encyclopedia", Second Edition, Lewis Publishers, 1990. |
| average 17.2 % unaccounted-for water |
United States public water systems
serving more than 1 million people |
F. van der Leeden et al.:
"The Water Encyclopedia", Second Edition, Lewis Publishers, 1990. |
| 50% (average) water loss due to leaks,
wastage, illegal connections |
Vietnam cities' distribution systems |
Do Quang Trung et al.:
"Water-loss reduction program in Vietnam", 24th WEDC Conference, Islamabad,
Pakistan, 1998. |
| typically 35% - 55% unaccounted-for water |
"systems with many old mains in poor
condition, .... lack of attention to leaks, ..." |
A.C. Twort et al.: "Water
Supply", Fourth Edition, Arnold, 1994. |
