HomeServe USA released “What Lies Beneath the Surface,” a white paper examining the challenges created by non-revenue water (NRW) and the solutions utilities and municipalities can implement to counteract its effects on water conservation and infrastructure. The white paper is authored by 30-year government relations veteran Vince Guenthner, founder of Vince Guenthner Inc. and former manager of government affairs at Kentucky-based Louisville Water Co.
The challenge of NRW continues to be “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” to the public, largely because the leakage and infrastructure damage contributing to NRW take place underground and go unnoticed until a major crisis, such as a water main break or drinking water contamination, occurs. The long-term negative impacts of NRW on communities and the business operations of utilities and municipalities serving them reflect a need for greater awareness and education on the issue.
In “What Lies Beneath the Surface,” Guenthner expands on the unseen causes generating NRW and offers preventative solutions that utilities, municipalities and their customers can employ to address the problem.
“Non-revenue water continues to get less than adequate attention on a community level, due to a lack of understanding around the issue and the contributing factors amplifying its impact,” said Tom Rusin, CEO of HomeServe. “Through this white paper, we hope to help connect the dots for utilities and municipal leaders on exactly why non-revenue water should matter to them and steps they can take to combat it. The benefits of minimizing non-revenue water are far-reaching, with the potential to improve water infrastructure, reduce utility bills, conserve water and protect public health all at once.”
Guenthner outlines approaches utilities can take to reduce NRW, presenting preventative measures and highlighting the importance of bringing customers into the effort through educational initiatives. The white paper also explores water service line repair plans as value-adding options for utilities to offer customers to aid in NRW reduction, as the coverage these plans provide enable the proactive identification and repair of pipe breaks or leaks before they snowball into larger problems.
The white paper “What Lies Beneath the Surface” is available for download here.
Source: HomeServe USA
