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There might have been a time when having a fair amount of lost or unaccounted-for water was acceptable to water utilities. Finding and plugging leaks might not have seemed cost effective for a typical water system; that is, the perceived cost of detection and repair might have outweighed the benefits of saving water. Many water systems also might not have metered or charged for certain kinds of uses. Such practices are no longer accepted as the best management of water resources. Today, the commodity that water systems deliver has greater value than ever before. Extraction, treatment, storage, and pumping all add value to the water resource. Ignoring the value of water losses is no longer justifiable. Given growing constraints on water resources and mounting infrastructure costs, it is more imperative than ever that water managers endeavor to account for the water that travels from the source to end users. A growing number of communities are faced with pressure to find additional supplies to serve expanding populations. Many of these exist in water-limited regions where the development of new supply sources and the allocation of existing sources are complex and sensitive issues. Yet rational assessment of water-loss performance and appropriate improvements are often not pursued as a resource management option or given appropriate priority. Proper management of a resource must include accurate measurement of the resource throughout its life cycle. In any proper accounting system checks and balances must be provided via the use of independent audits, consistent reports and rational procedures. The use of proper, consistent systems for water accounting does not exist throughout the United States or among the nation's numerous systems, but the need for such has become apparent to utility managers and practitioners in the field of water resource policy. This paper describes a current research project sponsored by the Technical and Educational Council of the American Water Works Association that will provide an initial baseline of data describing the status of water accounting and related public policy at the state and regional levels. Includes 39 references, table.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 06/01/2001 Number of Pages: 9File Size: 1 file , 250 KB