INTRODUCTION TO MALAYSIA NRW

By
Hasnul Mohamad Salleh, PhD
DG, Water Supply Department, MEGTW

1. Overview on Malaysia NRW

2. Currents problems
3. Current practice
4. Technology/ methodology currently being used
5. Successes to date
6. On-going program
7. Lessons learnt
8. Way forward
NRW Studies/Program
 Development & Implementation of NRW Program
 NRW Control Study & Development Of Leakage
Control Program For Malaysia
 Water Leakage Control Study And Training in Malaysia
- JICA Expert/Water Supply Branch, PWD Malaysia
 Rehabilitation And Upgrading of Water Supply
Systems In Malaysia
 NRW COMPONENTS

Total System Input volume NRW %= (TSI–BAC)/( TSI)

(TSI)

Revenue Water - Billed

NRW Authorized Consumption
Volume (BAC)-

Utilities own Use

Real losses Apparent Unbilled Flushing
( Leakage ) Losses Authorized Fire fighting
Street washing
 PERCENTAGE NON-REVENUE WATER (NRW) (% ) FROM
YEAR 1994 TO 2009

42
41
40.6
PERCENTAGE (%)

40 40 40
39.3 39.5
39 38.9 39
37.70
38 38
36.93
37 37 37.70
36 36 37.10
36.63
35 35
34
33
32
94

95

96

97

98

99

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09
19

19

19

19

19

19

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20
YEAR
9th Malaysia Plan NRW Target : 37.7 % in 2006
to 30.0% in 2010

Mid term review - 2008

Revised Target : 36.0%

Current : 36.6%

10th Malaysia Target : 34.0%

7th Plan (1996-2000) =RM0.58B
8th Plan (2001-2005 )=RM1 B
Why High Percentage NRW?

• Unsustainable and non committal NRW Control Project

(no follow through after project)
• No incentives and recognition
• Insufficient allocation
• Ineffective Monitoring System
• Inaccurate NRW Calculations and data Interpretations
• Repetitions on Wrong doings during new water supply
project.
• Implementations and substandard materials and poor
quality workmanship.
Cause of NRW
1. Age of System and Type of Material Used
2. Age of Meter and Metering Policy
- Domestic Meter Under-Registration
- Bulk meters under registration
- Unmetered usage
3. Administrator Errors
4. Incorrect meter reading or fraudulent misreading of
meters
- Errors on calculation
- Meters installed illegally
- Failure to replace damage or stopped meters
- Errors in estimating readings used when meters
stopped
 Current problems

1. High physical losses

2. High commercial losses:
3 Inadequate staff to tackle NRW
4 Inadequate Leakage KPI
5 Low tariff - Cheaper to waste water.
6 Inadequate NRW and Leakage Control policy
7 Target – no tough targets
 Percentage of AC Pipe
Total length of AC Pipes=44,283 Km

Wp Labuan, 1%
Teregganu, 3%
Selangor, 13% Johor, 18%

Sarawak, 5%

Sabah, 5% Kedah, 13%

Penang, 3%
Perlis, 2%

Perak, 6% Kelantan, 8%

Melaka, 4%
Pahang, 8%
Negeri Sembilan,
11%
 P R O P O R T IO N O F ME T E R S B Y A G E 2009

Meter more than 7

years :
24.4%

G reater 7 years

L es s than 7 years

Meter les s than 7

years :
75.6%
Current practice
1. Rehabilitating and replacing old pipes and extending
network –main
2. Removing illegal connections
3. Updating consumer database
4. Initiating computerized billing
5. Training meter readers and payments collections
6. Implementing DMAs , PMZ and metered zones for
active leakage control
7. Doing GIS mapping
8. Keeping control on materials used in water distribution
network construction
9. Taking speedy actions to repair bursts, systematic
maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement of
pipelines
Current practice

10. Establishing meter replacement program and meter

reading accuracy

11. Establishing Water Management Team with clear

responsibilities

12. Reservoir Overflow Monitoring

 Technolog

Advanced Leak Detection Tools getting more affordable

-Electronic Listening Stick , Ground Microphone, Correlating

-Noise Logger
-Ground Penetrating Radar
-Trunk Mains Leak Detection Equipment
 Technology

Technology has evolved dramatically in the last decade allowing for

Holistic NRW Management Implementation to be more affordable.

Water Distribution Management System integrating:

• Pipeline information and Billing system
• Customer complaints
• DMZ’s and leak repairs
• Network modeling and SCADA system
• DMZ are fitted with battery operated electromagnetic meter and
pressure transducer
• Reservoir with electronic sensor
• Online monitoring data for SCADA system to priorities leak
detection
 On-going programs
1. 100% Pipe Registration in GIS
-Essential for DMA/ PMA Design

2. GPS Level Survey

-Required for Pressure Management & Hydraulic Modeling
3. Consumer Geo-Coding

-Assignment of Demand to Pipes for Hydraulic Modeling

-Assignment of Metered Consumption to DMA for NRW –
Calculation

4. Leak & Burst Digitizing

- Analysis for Pressure Management
- Analysis for Pipe Replacement & Rehabilitation Priority
 On-going program
5. DMA Design for long term ease of NRW monitoring
-500 to 3,000 connections and less than 20km pipes
-Ability to be isolated hydraulically
-Pressure consideration especially when changing supply
situation from “multiple feed” to “single feed”
-Design of Step-Test for large DMA

6. DMA Construction
Use of Precast Concrete Chamber for speed in construction
of large NRW projects.
Panel of reliable sub-contractors
Inventory of equipment (flow meter/ data logger etc.)
Control of material quality
 Telemetry System
7. Continuous monitoring
-DMA Inlet Flow & Pressure
-PRV Upstream/ Downstream Pressure
-Average Zone Pressure
-Critical Point Pressure
-Reservoir Level

8. Time Series Data using GSM/ GPRS Data Logger

(flow, pressure, tank level) -Automatic daily data transmission
on GSM/ GPRS network
-Reduce time factor for “Awareness” of NRW increase in DMA
 Reservoir Level Monitoring

9. Monitoring of reservoir overflow

-Battery Operated GSM/ GPRS Data Logger with -Hydrostatic
Level Transducer.
-Logging of 15 min time-series data
-Immediate Alarms on Low Level and High Level

10. Allows for immediate identification of problematic Altitude

Valves.
 Successes - 2005-2009

Selangor Melaka Kedah

(38.4 – 32.49) (29.0 – 29.71) (43.80 – 44.97) Sarawak
Johor Pahang ( 24.70 – 29.50)
(35.5 – 31.95) Penang (48.20 – 59.90) Labuan
(19.40 – 19.40) Perlis (24.00 – 25.85)
(36.30 – 44.67) Sarawak
(24.70 – 29.52)
N. Sembilan Perak
( 30.60 – 30.68) Terengganu
(54.70 – 49.16) (34.70 – 37.85)

Sabah
(57.20 – 49.41)
 LESSONS LEARNED
 Pipe Replacement alone will not reduce NRW

 High NRW largely due to poor material quality and

workmanship

 Control of material quality and workmanship in Leak

Repairs is still poor

 NRW Programs undertakan between 1980-1990 failed due

to no continuity when handed over to the Water Authority.
NRW reductions are not sustained.
 Budget constraint.
 Skilled manpower shortage.
 NRW staff get promoted out to other sectors.
 LESSONS LEARNT
 .
 NRW Implementation is better outsourced to Specialist NRW
Contractor.
 NRW Project is different from Construction Project
 Pressure Management is an important tool for quick gains in
NRW reduction and leak/burst control but not given sufficient
attention in most States.
 Apparent Loss is not significant for Domestic Consumers and
most States have good meter change practice.
 Apparent Loss for Non-Domestic Consumers has room for
improvement
 Water theft reduction, use of Class “C” meters,
electromagnetic meters.
 Meter sizing and meterstand not following specs
 LESSONS LEARNT

 Accurate Baseline NRW measurement is essential before

start of any NRW Project with realistic targets set.

 NRW Projects must be Performance Based Contracts with

clear targets in Volumetric NRW Reduction rather than
NRW % target and include Reward/ Penalty Clause

 NRW is an Investment that requires large initial capital

expenditure
 WAY FORWARD

 Implement NRW Projects with balanced holistic approach

including;

 GIS System Enhancement

 DMA Establishment
 PMA Establishment & Pressure Management Tools
 Telemetry & NRW Management Information System
 Hydraulic Modelling
 Active Leak Detection & Repairs
 Selective Pipe Replacement with focus on Comm Pipe
Replacement.
 Selective Consumer Meter Replacement.
 WAY FORWARD
 NRW Capex must be controlled by an Agency that has
knowledge in NRW.

 NRW Projects to be on Longer Term of minimum 4-5 years

inclusive of maintenance and sustaining of NRW
reductions achieved.
 Ensure continuity of NRW Implementation.

 Operators cannot depend on Consultants and must

develop its own expertise to implement NRW control
programs .
 WAY FORWARD

 Develop NRW KPI

eg
 GIS Pipe Registration (% Digitized)
 DMA Coverage (No DMA & % Coverage)
 No of PMA/ PRV installed
 % Consumer Meters above 7 yrs
 Annual NRW Volume (m3/day)
 Annual NRW %

 Upgrade to Class “D” meters for Domestic & Class “C”

meters for Non-Domestic (50mm & above)
 WAY FORWARD

Assess Current
level of NRW Carry Out Water Balance

Calculate Optimum Level Cost of

Assess
of NRW Detection
Optimum Level

Customer Rehabilitation
Metering
Resource Set Target
Development Pressure Control

Customer Issue Legislation

Establish NRW Control
Policy and Expenditure
New Technology

NRW MANAGEMENT Repair Policy

Source: UK Water industry: Report C

Performance
THANK YOU
Methodology To Reduce NRW

1. Meter Replacement

2. Regular Sounding

3. Pressure Control

4. Intensive metering

5. Pipeline Replacement and Upgrading

6. Communication Pipe Replacement