Nagpur: Struggling to reduce non-revenue water (NRW), which has hovered between 35% and 40%, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has decided to conduct a comprehensive water audit and consumer survey.The exercise, proposed at a cost of Rs 3.22 crore, aims to map the distribution network, verify consumer connections, and identify leakages and other sources of water loss.“At the current supply level of around 700 million litres per day (MLD), an NRW level of 35% means nearly 245 MLD remains unaccounted for daily,” said executive engineer (PHE department) Shrikant Waikar. At 40%, the figure rises to about 280 MLD.The proposal to appoint a technical services consultant has been placed before the standing committee, which will meet on Sept 4. The water-supply department has sought administrative approval and permission to invite tenders for the audit and survey.The audit is significant given that the city’s NRW remains far above the 13% permissible water-loss level prescribed by Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP). Even at its lower bound of 35%, the loss is more than twice the prescribed benchmark.The audit is expected to establish how much water enters the distribution system, how much reaches consumers, and where the balance is lost. It will cover physical leakages, unauthorised consumption, faulty or inaccurate metering, unaccounted connections, and other contributing factors.The consumer survey will help NMC verify the number and status of water connections, along with consumption patterns and billing data. Officials hope the exercise will provide a scientific baseline for identifying vulnerable stretches of the network and prioritising repairs and investment.Should NRW fall from 35% to the MJP benchmark of 13%, the theoretical saving at the current supply level would be around 154 MLD per day. The actual recoverable quantity, however, will depend on the audit’s findings.The move follows years of high distribution losses and mounting pressure on NMC to improve the efficiency of its water-supply system. The audit could provide the civic body with the data needed to move beyond estimates and take targeted measures to plug water losses.KEY NUMBERS City water supply: 700 MLD Estimated water loss: 35% to 40% Water lost: 245 MLD/day Permissible loss: 13% Proposed water audit & consumer survey: Rs 3.22 crore
