A water balance audit is used to determine how much water is being lost or unaccounted for in a water distribution system. In order to make this determination, information about the amount of water produced is compared to the amount of water distributed and billed. The difference between the two is generally termed “water loss.” water balance audits are sometimes required by regulatory agencies, but their real usefulness is in helping to make water systems more efficient.

Knowing the amount of water loss is extremely important to water purveyors. Water is a precious commodity, and the water distribution system is a part of every city’s critical infrastructure. Wasting water or not properly billing for water harms the entire system.

Water auditing is crucial to determine the source of water loss. Water audits can help managers find out whether water is being lost through breaks in piping, through theft, or through faulty flow measurement or errors in accounting. Once the source of water loss is determined, water utilities can take steps to resolve problems in the system.

Water balance audits are recommended annually to ensure water is used as efficiently as possible. Also, water auditing can help to ensure that water use is properly billed. This is very important for water providers, as funds from billing are used for operating, maintenance and capital costs. Unfilled water creates financial stress on water purveyors, and can lead to cost increases passed on to the water customers.

Water Balance Audits Include Several Steps.

The final action steps will be based on the utility’s budget and priorities. During the next year’s water balance audit the bench-marking results will show if any improvement was made by implementing the recommendations.

About | Chokhavatia Associates

Chokhavatia Associates has vast expertise in conducting water balance audits also performed water auditing for numerous water systems. We have highly trained engineers and technicians to accomplish information gathering, water loss analysis, and bench marking calculations. Our experienced technical staff also perform the field examinations of the system using specialty equipment to perform leak detection and meter testing.

CA’s standard audit procedures result in a customized report for the water system to improve their water balance and reduce water loss. Our quality system audits will also allow water managers to properly compare their water balance with other similar water systems. By using the bench marking analysis and performance indicators such as amount of water lost per service connection or amount of water loss per length of water main water utilities can monitor their improvement from year to year.

Our team uses all the latest technologies to provide our clients with quality system audits that can reduce the wasteful loss of water while increasing revenues needed to operate and maintain their water system.