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Fluctuations in the network pressure of water supply systems affect hydraulic performance and water meter accuracy. The development of metering error curves requires steady-state conditions which are extremely rare in water distribution systems characterized by intermittent supply. Simple deterministic models are suggested and developed from monthly data collected over a 4-year period (2010–2014) for three most dominant meter models (Models 1–3) in the Kampala Water Distribution System (KWDS), Uganda. This study combines pressure and billing information at the same time to understand metering accuracy. Results showed that metering accuracy increased by 4.2% for Model 1, 8.4% for Model 2 and 2.9% for Model 3, when the pressure was increased from 10 to 50 meters head. Age did not influence the impact of pressure on meter accuracy. The most sensitive parameter in the model was the meter age. Metering accuracy was relatively constant after a period of 5 years. The least sensitive parameter was the working pressure which caused a slight change to the annual billed volume. The ability of the model to accurately predict the meter registration degenerated with an increasing annual billed volume. Model 2 meters were the best performing and probably the most suitable meters in the KWDS. HIGHLIGHTS Working pressure showed a positive effect on meter registration which degraded with aging.; Low median working pressure caused an increase in meter under-registration.; Meter age was the most sensitive parameter.; The ability of the model to accurately predict the meter registration degenerated with an increasing annual billed volume.; Model 2 meters were the most suitable meters in the KWDS.

Introduction: Instead of replacing existing analogue water meters with Internet of Things (IoT) connected substitutes, an alternative would be to attach an IoT connected module to the analogue water meter that optically reads the meter value using Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Such a module would need to be battery-powered given that access to the electrical grid is typically limited near water meters. Research has shown that offloading the OCR process can reduce the power dissipation from the battery, and that this dissipation can be reduced even further by reducing the amount of data that is transmitted. Purpose: For the sake of minimising energy consumption in the proposed solution, the purpose of the study is to find out to what extent it is possible to reduce an input image’s file size by means of resolution, colour depth, and compression before the Google Cloud Vision OCR engine no longer returns feasible results. Method and implementation: 250 images of analogue water meter values were processed by the Google Vision Cloud OCR through 38 000 different combinations of resolution, colour depth, and upscaling. Results: The highest rate of successful OCR readings with a minimal file size were found among images within a range of resolutions between 133 x 22 to 163 x 27 pixels and colour depths between 1- and 2-bits/pixel. Conclusion: The study shows that there is a potential for minimising data sizes, and thereby energy consumption, by offloading the OCR process by means of transmitting images of minimal file size.

Treball Final de Grau en Enginyeria Informàtica. Codi: EI1054. Curs acadèmic: 2019/2020 Este documento contiene la memoria del trabajo de final de grado en el que se expone el desarrollo de una aplicación web para la consulta del consumo de agua de los clientes abonados y la gestión de alarmas en sus contadores con el fin de detectar problemas o fugas. Esta aplicación va dirigida tanto a clientes particulares como a empresas, aunque esta memoria se centra en el desarrollo de la parte del cliente particular. El frontend de la aplicación se ha implementado utilizando el framework Angular 8 y el lenguaje de programación Typescript. Por el contrario, para el backend se ha empleado el framework Spring y el lenguaje de programación Java.

[ES] Las pérdidas de agua comúnmente conocidas de manera técnica como Agua No Contabilizada (ANC), se definen como la diferencia entre el volumen de agua inyectado a la red, desde la planta de potabilización, y el volumen registrado por los contadores de agua de los usuarios (Alegre, 2006). Numerosos estudios hacen referencia al deficiente estado de muchos sistemas de distribución y se reporta la existencia de abastecimientos donde el porcentaje de ANC alcanzan cifras de hasta un 70% del volumen inyectado. El ANC se puede subdividir, a su vez, en dos componentes: las pérdidas físicas y las pérdidas comerciales. Las primeras, tienen habitualmente más peso en términos de volumen. No obstante, las pérdidas comerciales son equiparables en términos de coste para la empresa, de ahí su importancia. Una gran parte de las pérdidas comerciales son debidas a errores de medición, por subcontaje, de los contadores de agua (Arregui et al. 2006, Fontanazza et al, 2013). Para que los contadores de agua en una red puedan ser utilizados, deben cumplir con especificaciones y parámetros establecidos por entidades como: La Organización Internacional para la Estandarización (ISO), la Organización Internacional de Metrología Legal (OIML), el Comité Europeo de Normalización (CEN), entre otros. Estas organizaciones evalúan metrológicamente los contadores en condiciones de flujo permanente, es decir, ensayando los contadores de agua haciendo circular un caudal constante. Sin embargo, este tipo de funcionamiento difiere del modo en que en realidad deben trabajar en campo, pues lo habitual es que el régimen de caudales a través del contado sea variable y se observe un régimen de funcionamiento intermitente. Hasta la fecha, la mayor parte de los medidores que se han venido utilizado son medidores con un principio de funcionamiento mecánico. Actualmente se están empezado a instalar contadores con un principio de medición que no emplea piezas móviles. Son los denominados contadores no mecánicos o contadores de estado sólido. De los aparatos más utilizados de este tipo están los de tipo electromagnéticos y de ultrasonido. Una característica común a todos ellos es que los medidores para funcionar requieren la utilización de una batería. Con el fin de reducir el consumo de energía y aumentar la durabilidad de las baterías, los fabricantes programan los contadores para muestrear el flujo de agua con diferentes intervalos de tiempo (según el algoritmo propietario de cada fabricante). Debido al intervalo de toma de muestra, en condiciones de flujo no estacionario o cuando las duraciones de los consumos son cortas, estos contadores podrían presentar medidas por encima o por debajo de lo que en realidad se está consumiendo. Este efecto que provoca el flujo intermitente podría también aparecer en contadores mecánicos de velocidad. Estos cuentan con hélices de cierto peso que, al girar, contabilizan la cantidad de agua que se trasiega. Estas pequeñas turbinas poseen cierta inercia, la cual podría mantenerse girando al finalizar un consumo. Esta circunstancia podría ser significativa de cara a la medición de los consumos de agua, pudiendo provocar, según el diseño del medidor, un error de medida importante. Con los condicionantes comentados, un técnico en metrología podría plantearse si evaluar un contador bajo condiciones de caudal permanente es suficiente para garantizar que los consumo de los usuarios, que se producen en condiciones de caudal variable, es adecuado. Precisamente en este trabajo se analizará cuando un contador bajo condiciones de funcionamiento no estables, podría presentar cambios en la curva de error que condujesen a una medición de la exactitud con la que se registran los consumos. Adicionalmente, se evaluará desde un punto de vista económico, la significancia y repercusiones que podrían darse de existir una alteración en la curva de error por este concepto. Buscando proteger al consumidor y a la empresa de errores de medida de los instrumentos, y de misma manera, garantizar la selección de un modelo óptimo para determinados patrones de consumo, se realizará una evaluación en un banco de ensayos montado, específicamente, para producir variabilidad en el flujo, mediante el cierre y apertura de diversos circuitos. Dicho banco está compuesto de electroválvulas y un controlador lógico programable, y a su vez, preparado para simular diferentes patrones de consumo, los que se asemejan a reproducir un modelo de la demanda doméstica, y de esta forma, examinar el comportamiento metrológico real de los contadores de agua bajo condiciones de flujo variables. Los resultados obtenidos en este experimento serán analizados estadísticamente, estos datos podrán dar conclusiones que permitan determinar la eficiencia de cada contador bajo régimen de funcionamiento variable. De la misma forma, dicha experimentación se utilizará para crear un programa de ensayo que sirva como referencia para futuras evaluaciones del comportamiento de los contadores de agua bajo condiciones de flujo transitorio, [EN] Water losses commonly known in a technical way as Non-Revenue Water (NRW), are defined as the difference between the volume of water injected into the network, from the water treatment plant, and the volume recorded by users' water meters (Alegre, 2006). Numerous studies refer to the poor state of many distribution systems and the existence of supplies is reported where the percentage of NRW reaches figures of up to 70% of the injected volume. The RNW can be subdivided, in turn, into two components: physical losses and commercial losses. The former usually have more weight in terms of volume. However, commercial losses are comparable in terms of cost to the company, hence its importance. A large part of the commercial losses is due to measurement errors, by sub-accounting, of the water meters (Arregui et al. 2006, Fontanazza et al, 2013). For water meters in a network to be used, they must comply with specifications and parameters established by entities such as: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), the European Committee for Standardization ( CEN), among others. These organizations metrologically evaluate the meters in permanent flow conditions, that is, by testing the water meters by circulating a constant flow rate. However, this type of operation differs from the way in which they should actually work in the field, since it is customary for the flow rate regime to be variable and a system of intermittent operation to be observed. So far, most of the meters that have been used are meters with a mechanical operating principle. Currently, meters with a measuring principle that does not use moving parts are being installed. They are called non-mechanical counters or solid-state counters. Of the most used devices of this type are those of electromagnetic and ultrasound type. A characteristic common to all of them is that the meters to operate require the use of a battery. In order to reduce the energy consumption and increase the durability of the batteries, the manufacturers program the meters to sample the water flow with different time intervals (according to the proprietary algorithm of each manufacturer). Due to the sampling interval, in conditions of non-stationary flow or when the consumption durations are short, these meters could present measures above or below what is actually being consumed. This effect that causes intermittent flow could also appear in mechanical speed counters. These have propellers of a certain weight that, when turned, account for the amount of water that is transferred. These small turbines have some inertia, which could keep turning at the end of consumption. This circumstance could be significant in the face of the measurement of water consumption, and can cause, according to the design of the meter, an important measurement error. With the aforementioned conditions, a metrology technician could consider whether evaluating a meter under permanent flow conditions is sufficient to ensure that user consumption, which occurs under conditions of variable flow, is adequate. Precisely in this work it will be analyzed when a counter under non-stable operating conditions could present changes in the error curve that lead to a measurement of the accuracy with which the consumption is recorded. Additionally, it will be evaluated from an economic point of view, the significance and repercussions that could occur if there is an alteration in the error curve for this concept. Seeking to protect the consumer and the company from measurement errors of the instruments, and in the same way, to guarantee the selection of an optimal model for certain consumption patterns, an evaluation will be carried out in a test bench mounted specifically to produce variability in the flow, by closing and opening various circuits. This bank is composed of solenoid valves and a programmable logic controller, and in turn, prepared to simulate different consumption patterns, which are similar to reproducing a model of domestic demand, and in this way, examining the actual metrological behavior of the meters of water under variable flow conditions. The results obtained in this experiment will be analyzed statistically, these data may give conclusions that allow determining the efficiency of each meter under a variable operating regime. Similarly, such experimentation will be used to create a test program that serves as a reference for future evaluations of the behavior of water meters under transient flow conditions., [CA] Les pèrdues d'aigua comunament conegudes de manera tècnica com a Aigua No Comptabilitzada (ANC), es defineixen com la diferència entre el volum d'aigua injectat a la xarxa, des de la planta de potabilització, i el volum registrat pels comptadors d'aigua dels usuaris (Alegre, 2006). Nombrosos estudis fan referència al deficient estat de molts sistemes de distribució i es reporta l'existència de proveïments on el percentatge de ANC aconsegueixen xifres de fins a un 70% del volum injectat. El ANC es pot subdividir, al seu torn, en dos components: les pèrdues físiques i les pèrdues comercials. Les primeres, tenen habitualment més pes en termes de volum. No obstant això, les pèrdues comercials són equiparables en termes de cost per a l'empresa, d'ací la seua importància. Una gran part de les pèrdues comercials són degudes a errors de mesurament, per subcontaje, dels comptadors d'aigua (Arregui et al. 2006, Fontanazza et al, 2013). Perquè els comptadors d'aigua en una xarxa puguen ser utilitzats, han de complir amb especificacions i paràmetres establits per entitats com: L'Organització Internacional per a l'Estandardització (ISO), l'Organització Internacional de Metrologia Legal (OIML), el Comité Europeu de Normalització (CEN), entre altres. Aquestes organitzacions avaluen metrológicament els comptadors en condicions de flux permanent, és a dir, assajant els comptadors d'aigua fent circular un cabal constant. No obstant això, aquest tipus de funcionament difereix de la manera en què en realitat han de treballar en camp, perquè l'habitual és que el règim de cabals a través del comptador siga variable i s'observe un règim de funcionament intermitent. Fins hui, la major part dels mesuradors que s'han vingut utilitzat són mesuradors amb un principi de funcionament mecànic. Actualment s'estan començat a instal·lar comptadors amb un principi de mesurament que no empra peces mòbils. Són els denominats comptadors no mecànics o comptadors d'estat sòlid. Dels aparells més utilitzats d'aquest tipus estan els de tipus electromagnètics i d'ultrasò. Una característica comuna a tots ells és que els mesuradors per a funcionar requereixen la utilització d'una bateria. Amb la finalitat de reduir el consum d'energia i augmentar la durabilitat de les bateries, els fabricants programen els comptadors per a mostrejar el flux d'aigua amb diferents intervals de temps (segons l'algorisme propietari de cada fabricant). A causa de l'interval de presa de mostra, en condicions de flux no estacionari o quan les duracions dels consums són curtes, aquests comptadors podrien presentar mesures per damunt o per davall del que en realitat s'està consumint. Aquest efecte que provoca el flux intermitent podria també aparéixer en comptadors mecànics de velocitat. Aquests compten amb hèlices de cert pes que, en girar, comptabilitzen la quantitat d'aigua que es trasiega. Aquestes xicotetes turbines posseeixen certa inèrcia, la qual podria mantindre's girant en finalitzar un consum. Aquesta circumstància podria ser significativa de cara al mesurament dels consums d'aigua, podent provocar, segons el disseny del mesurador, un error de mesura important. Amb els condicionants comentats, un tècnic en metrologia podria plantejar-se si avaluar un comptador sota condicions de cabal permanent és suficient per a garantir que els consums dels usuaris, que es produeixen en condicions de cabal variable, és adequat. Precisament en aquest treball s'analitzarà quan un comptador sota condicions de funcionament no estables, podria presentar canvis en la corba d'error que conduïren a un mesurament de l'exactitud amb la qual es registren els consums. Addicionalment, s'avaluarà des d'un punt de vista estadístic, la significança i repercussions que podrien donar-se d'existir una alteració en la corba d'error per aquest concepte. Buscant protegir al consumidor i a l'empresa d'errors de mesura dels instruments, i de mateixa manera, garantir la selecció d'un model òptim per a determinats patrons de consum, es realitzarà una avaluació en un banc d'assajos muntat, específicament, per a produir variabilitat en el flux, mitjançant el tancament i obertura de diversos circuits. Aquest banc està compost d'electrovàlvules i un controlador lògic programable, i al seu torn, preparat a simular diferents patrons de consum, els que s'assemblen a reproduir un model de la demanda domèstica, i d'aquesta forma, examinar el comportament metrològic real dels comptadors d'aigua sota condicions de flux variables. Els resultats obtinguts en aquest experiment seran analitzats estadísticament, aquestes dades podran donar conclusions que permeten determinar l'eficiència de cada comptador sota règim de funcionament variable. De mateixa forma, aquesta experimentació s'utilitzarà per a crear un programa d'assaig que servisca com a referència per a futures avaluacions del comportament dels comptadors d'aigua sota condicions de flux transitori.

Cilj ovog rada je dokazati da postoji razlika u financijskom rezultatu poduzeća Vodovod i kanalizacija d.o.o. kada bi vodomjeri bili evidentirani kao dugotrajna imovina i da vodomjeri zadovoljavaju kriterije priznavanja dugotrajne imovine umjeto dosadašnjeg pristupa evidentiranja kroz trošak. U teorijskom dijelu rada obrađeni su pojmovi računovodstvenih politika i procjena. Računovodstvene procjene jedno su od najkompleksnijih područja računovodstva. Izuzetno su važne jer imaju značajan utjecaj na pozicije financijskih izvještaja. Obzirom na određenu dozu subjektivnosti u njihovom donošenju, treba uzeti u obzir sve relevantne informacije i zakonski okvir. U empirijskom dijelu prikazan je slučaj iz poduzeća Vodovod i kanalizacija d.o.o. Istražen je poslovni proces izmjene vodomjera te utjecaj vodomjera na financijski rezultat poduzeća. Dan je alternativni računovodstveni postupak te razlika u financijskom rezultatu kada bi se primijenio. Dokazano je da da postoji razlika u financijskom rezultatu poduzeća Vodovod i kanalizacija d.o.o. kada bi vodomjeri bili evidentirani kao dugotrajna imovina i da vodomjeri zadovoljavaju kriterije priznavanja dugotrajne imovine. The aim of this paper is to prove that there is a difference in the financial result of the company Vodovod i kanalizacija d.o.o. if the water meters were recorded as fixed assets and that the meters meet the criteria for the recognition fixed assets instead of the present approach of recording as an expense of the period. The theoretical part of the paper deals with the concepts of accounting policies and estimates. Accounting estimates are one of the most complex areas of accounting. They are extremely important because they have a significant impact on financial statement positions. Considering a certain dose of subjectivity in their adoption, all relevant information and legal framework should be taken into account. The empirical part shows a case from the company Vodovod i kanalizacija d.o.o. The business process of water meter change and the influence of water meter on the financial result of the company were investigated. An alternative accounting procedure is presented and the difference in financial result when applied. It has been proved that there is a difference in the financial result of the company Vodovod i kanalizacija d.o.o. if the meters were recorded as fixed assets and that the meters meet the criteria for recognition of fixed assets.

Intermittent supply is common worldwide. It triggers households with piped connection to adjust the supply scheme by the use of a water tank with a float valve (FV) at the entrance, which has a major influence on the water meter accuracy. This study investigated the impact of the water tank with a FV on the performance of water meters under intermittent and continuous supply conditions, using laboratory experiments, field measurements, and hydraulic modeling. Results revealed that the inflow rates into the water tank are consistently lower than the outflow rates of the tank. This will always be the case owing to the balancing mechanism of the tank. The flows that pass through the water meter represent the inflows into the tank. Therefore, higher metering errors and more apparent losses are expected for a combination of a water tank, FV, and continuous supply. Besides, different FV types have different hydraulic characteristics. Larger FVs with higher discharge rates tend to maintain the water level close to the full level in the tank and conferred longer periods of low flows, worse meter performance, and more apparent losses. For intermittent supply, results confirmed that higher intermittency levels lead to improved performance of water meters and reduce the apparent losses. This points to the complication in transformation from intermittent to continuous supply worldwide. In this case, water utilities should expect higher meter errors and more revenue losses unless the meter replacement policy recognises lower flows passing through the meter.

Orientador: Kamal Abdel Radi Ismail Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade e Engenharia Mecânica Resumo: Através do modelo CAD 3D de um hidrômetro, foi realizada uma análise CFD considerando simulações em uma ampla faixa de vazões, contemplando os fluxos em regime laminar, transacional e turbulento. A interação entre a turbina e o jato impactado foi estudada, fornecendo informações de grandezas físicas como curvas de torque, perfis de pressão e velocidade, cálculo da perda de carga e velocidade angular da turbina para as diferentes taxas de fluxos. O atrito mecânico entre o eixo da turbina e o mancal é de vital importância, refletindo diretamente na sensibilidade a baixas vazões, tal fenômeno foi estudado e analisado a sua interferência na velocidade angular na turbina. Os resultados foram validados por meio de testes experimentais realizados em bancada de teste. Inicialmente se empregou para cada taxa de vazão volumétrica uma simulação em estado permanente, na qual a velocidade angular da turbina foi estimada teoricamente e imposta na fase de pré-processamento. A velocidade angular da turbina é o objeto principal de estudo desta pesquisa, na qual se correlaciona com o princípio físico de medição de um hidrômetro velocimétrico, em que a cada rotação da turbina se desloca um volume cíclico conhecido, perfazendo deste modo através do sistema registrador o volume consumido de água em um determinado período. A metodologia adotada foi capaz de reproduzir o comportamento metrológico do hidrômetro testado, fornecendo informações antes desconhecidas, como capturar perfis de pressão e velocidade e possibilitar entendimentos adicionais da interação entre o jato de água e a turbina. Os valores teóricos da velocidade angular da turbina para cada vazão testada foram comparados com os valores obtidos pelo método experimental e este por sua vez com o valor numérico. Os desvios da abordagem experimental foram comparados com cinco cenários obtidos com a abordagem numérica, diferentes entre si pelos valores estimados da força de atrito. O maior desvio encontrado foi de 2,01% na condição isenta de atrito, e 0,20% na condição estimada de -9x10-4 N.mm, ambos quando aplicados em vazões com baixo Reynolds Abstract: Through the 3D CAD model of a hydrometer, a CFD analysis was performed considering simulations in a wide range of flows, contemplating the flows in laminar, transactional, and turbulent regime. The interaction between the turbine and the impacted jet was studied, providing information of physical quantities such as torque curves, pressure and velocity contours, calculation of the load loss and angular velocity of the turbine for the different flow rates. The mechanical friction between the turbine shaft and the bearing is of vital importance, reflecting directly on the sensitivity to low flows, such phenomenon was studied and its interference with the angular speed of the turbine was analyzed. The results were validated by means of experimental tests carried out on test benches. Initially, a permanent simulation was used for each volumetric flow rate, in which the angular velocity of the turbine was theoretically estimated and imposed in the pre-processing phase. The angular velocity of the turbine is the main object of study of this research, in which it correlates with the physical principle of measuring a velocimetric hydrometer, in which at each rotation of the turbine a known cyclic volume is moved, thus making up through the recording system the volume consumed of water in each period. The methodology adopted was able to reproduce the metrological behavior of the tested hydrometer, providing information previously unknown, such as capturing pressure and speed contours and enabling additional understanding of the interaction between the water jet and the turbine. The theoretical values of the angular velocity of the turbine for each flow tested were compared with the values obtained by the experimental method and this in turn with the numerical value. The deviations experimental approach was compared with five scenarios obtained with the numerical approach, different from each other by the estimated values of friction force. The largest deviation found is 2.01% in the frictionless condition, and 0.20% in the estimated condition of -9x10-4 N.mm Mestrado Térmica e Fluídos Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Water utilities worldwide lose 128 billion cubic meters annually, causing annual monetary losses estimated at USD 40 billion. Most of these losses occur in developing countries (74%). This calls for a rethinking of the challenges facing water utilities in developing countries, foremost of which is the assessment of water losses in intermittent supply networks. Water loss assessment methods were originally developed in continuous supply systems, and their application in intermittently operated networks (in developing countries) is hindered by the widespread use of household water tanks and unauthorised consumption. This study provides an extensive review of existing methods and (software) tools for water loss assessment. In addition, several new methods providing improved water loss assessment in the case of intermittent supply are discussed. As the volume of water loss varies monthly and annually according to the amount of water supplied, this study proposes procedures to normalise the volume of water loss in order to enable water utilities to monitor and benchmark their performance in water loss management. The study also develops a novel method for estimating apparent losses using routine data of WWTP inflows, enabling future real-time monitoring of losses in networks. Different methods have been suggested to estimate unauthorised consumption in networks. This study found that minimum night flow analysis can still be applied in the case of intermittent supply if an area of the network is supplied for several days. Furthermore, the study concluded that water meter performance is enhanced under intermittent supply conditions. However, continuous supply in the presence of float valves significantly reduces the accuracy of water meters. Finally, this study provides guidance and highlights several knowledge gaps to improve the accuracy of water loss assessment in intermittent supply networks. Accurate assessment of water loss is a prerequisite for reliable leakage modelling and minimisation, as well as planning for, and monitoring of water loss management in distribution networks.

Water utilities worldwide lose 128 billion cubic meters annually, causing annual monetary losses estimated at USD 40 billion. Most of these losses occur in developing countries (74%). This calls for a rethinking of the challenges facing water utilities in developing countries, foremost of which is the assessment of water losses in intermittent supply networks. Water loss assessment methods were originally developed in continuous supply systems, and their application in intermittently operated networks (in developing countries) is hindered by the widespread use of household water tanks and unauthorised consumption. This study provides an extensive review of existing methods and (software) tools for water loss assessment. In addition, several new methods providing improved water loss assessment in the case of intermittent supply are discussed. As the volume of water loss varies monthly and annually according to the amount of water supplied, this study proposes procedures to normalise the volume of water loss in order to enable water utilities to monitor and benchmark their performance in water loss management. The study also develops a novel method for estimating apparent losses using routine data of WWTP inflows, enabling future real-time monitoring of losses in networks. Different methods have been suggested to estimate unauthorised consumption in networks. This study found that minimum night flow analysis can still be applied in the case of intermittent supply if an area of the network is supplied for several days. Furthermore, the study concluded that water meter performance is enhanced under intermittent supply conditions. However, continuous supply in the presence of float valves significantly reduces the accuracy of water meters. Finally, this study provides guidance and highlights several knowledge gaps to improve the accuracy of water loss assessment in intermittent supply networks. Accurate assessment of water loss is a prerequisite for reliable leakage modelling and minimisation, as well as planning for, and monitoring of water loss management in distribution networks.

We installed the Sigfox antenna in Hiroshima Institute of Technology and acquired the data of the water meter with IoT equipment via the Internet using the Sigfox network. In addition, since we can explain the mechanism of Sigfox using that system, we could build an elementary education system. In the future, I would like to aim to build an educational system that can be used for actual lectures and practical training using materials for constructing educational systems.

We installed the Sigfox antenna in Hiroshima Institute of Technology and acquired the data of the water meter with IoT equipment via the Internet using the Sigfox network. In addition, since we can explain the mechanism of Sigfox using that system, we could build an elementary education system. In the future, I would like to aim to build an educational system that can be used for actual lectures and practical training using materials for constructing educational systems.

The basis for the designing of water supply devices is knowledge of the distribution of water demand. The only practical tool that utility companies can use to measure water consumption is water meters. The literature part of the article compares the guidelines for the devices contained in the following directives: EEC (European Economic Community&mdash, withdrawn) and Measuring Instruments Directive&mdash, MID (applicable at present). The methodology of selecting water meters in accordance with previous and current regulations was also presented. The main purpose of this work was to determine the structure of water demand for selected building objects. Differences between real and literature values of water flows and water demand were determined. It was found that the average consumption in the analyzed buildings was higher then the consumption in Polish Regulation and in the town of Dabrowa Gornicza. The highest level of demand was in the buildings, which were equipped with automatic watering systems. The maximum momentary volumetric flows are also shown. Based on the obtained data, the accuracy of the water meters selection was checked. The calculated daily and hourly peak factors were compared with the values from the literature. The analysis was performed based on current legal acts, technical literature and data obtained from Dabrowskie Wodociagi Sp. z o.o. in Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland.

Over the last four decades the locus of economic power has shifted from industry to finance. As part of this trend, the 'financialisation' of the water sector has added a new layer of complexity to the hydrosocial cycle, witnessed in the emergence of new financial actors, logics and financing instruments. Such a shift has profoundly reshaped the relationship between water utilities and consumers in the South East of England, where the household has become, in the words of Allen and Pryke (2013), a human revenue stream for financialised utilities. In this paper, we make an argument that the water meter is one of the crucial mediators through which finance will touch the lives of individual subjects. In the South East of England, after initial opposition to universal metering ¿ in part shaped by fears over fluctuating revenues ¿ water companies are now embedding a metering programme within a billing and tariff structure that aims to ensure governable and predictable subjects. Drawing on Urban Political Ecology, we argue that the financialisation of the water sector in England shapes the emergence of new financial subjectivities while enabling new forms of political rule that operate at a range of spatial scales. En las últimas cuatro décadas, el lugar del poder económico ha pasado de la industria a las finanzas. Como parte de esta tendencia, la 'financiarización' del sector del agua ha agregado una nueva capa de complejidad al ciclo hidrosocial, presenciado en la aparición de nuevos actores financieros, lógicas e instrumentos de financiación. Tal cambio ha cambiado profundamente la relación entre las empresas de servicios públicos de agua y los consumidores en el sudeste de Inglaterra, donde el hogar se ha convertido, en palabras de Allen y Pryke (2013), en una fuente de ingresos humanos para servicios financieros. En este documento, argumentamos que el medidor de agua es uno de los mediadores cruciales a través del cual las finanzas tocarán la vida de sujetos individuales. En el sudeste de Inglaterra, después de la oposición inicial a la medición universal, en parte modelada por los temores sobre los ingresos fluctuantes, las compañías de agua ahora están incorporando un programa de medición dentro de una estructura de facturación y tarifas que apunta a asegurar sujetos gobernables y predecibles. Partiendo de la ecología política urbana, sostenemos que la financiarización del sector del agua en Inglaterra configura el surgimiento de nuevas subjetividades financieras al tiempo que permite nuevas formas de gobierno político que operan en un rango de escalas espaciales. En les últimes quatre dècades, el lloc del poder econòmic ha passat de la indústria a les finances. Com a part d'aquesta tendència, la 'financiarització' del sector de l'aigua ha agregat una nova capa de complexitat al cicle hidrosocial, presenciat en l'aparició de nous actors financers, lògiques i instruments de finançament. Tal canvi ha canviat profundament la relació entre les empreses de serveis públics d'aigua i els consumidors en el sud-est d'Anglaterra, on la llar s'ha convertit, en paraules d'Allen i Pryke (2013), en una font d'ingressos humans per a serveis financers. En aquest document, argumentem que el mesurador d'aigua és un dels mediadors crucials a través del com les finances tocaran la vida de subjectes individuals. En el sud-est d'Anglaterra, després de l'oposició inicial al mesurament universal, en part modelada pels temors sobre els ingressos fluctuants, les companyies d'aigua ara estan incorporant un programa de mesurament dins d'una estructura de facturació i tarifes que apunta a assegurar subjectes gobernables i predictibles. Partint de l'ecologia política urbana, sostenim que la financiarització del sector de l'aigua a Anglaterra configura el sorgiment de noves subjectivitats financeres al mateix temps que permet noves formes de govern polític que operen en un rang d'escales espacials.

The transformation of water services that began with the privatisation of water companies in 1989 extended to households with the implementation of water metering. Meters 'privatised' water and the cost of provision by allocating to individual households costs that had previously been shared within the community. This (ongoing) conversion of common pool to private good has mostly improved economic, environmental and social impacts, but the potential burden of metering on poorer households has slowed the transition. Stronger anti-poverty programmes would be better at addressing this poverty barrier than existing coping mechanisms reliant on subsidies from other water consumers.

[ES] La Comunidad de Regantes de Montixelvo dispone de unas instalaciones de riego a presión que parte desde un embalse y distribuye el agua con presión suficiente para el riego por goteo hasta cada una de las parcelas individualmente. Actualmente el sistema de distribución de la demanda de riego se realiza a voluntad del regante. Cada regante dispone en su parcela de un hidrante compuesto de un contador de riego y una válvula manual de apertura y cierre. Esto admite un funcionamiento correcto de las instalaciones, pues la red existente se diseñó con el método de Clèment de reducción de caudales por tramo según cálculos probabilísticos. Después de unos años de funcionamiento los recursos existentes han disminuido y son insuficientes para abastecer el 100% de la demanda según la voluntad de los regantes. Por otro lado las instalaciones existentes obligan a que el control administrativo del consumo de agua sea lento e inexacto, pues se realiza la lectura de los contadores de modo manual, es decir, mediante una persona que recorre todas las parcelas anotando la lectura del contador, cada vez que se quiera facturar consumos. Se plantea la posibilidad de poder controlar desde la administración de la Comunidad de Regantes el consumo máximo por unidad de superficie de cada una de las parcelas que abastece la red de riego con el fin de distribuir eficientemente los recursos existentes. Al mismo tiempo, aprovechando las instalaciones a realizar, se pretende poder controlar administrativamente los consumos de la red mediante telegestión. Se proyecta la realización de hidrantes multiusuario en los que se disponga de forma segura de los elementos hidráulicos de control de la red, donde se agruparán los contadores de cada una de las parcelas. Estos hidrantes dispondrán de válvulas hidráulicas con actuación automática para apertura y cierre a voluntad de la administración de la Comunidad de Regantes. De este modo se podrá sectorizar la red realizando una distribución de recursos conforme a las necesidades estimadas técnicamente y con la proporcionalidad necesaria. En estos hidrantes multiusuario se dispondrá de los contadores de agua que mediante emisores de pulsos informarán al automatismo a instalar, del consumo existente por cada parcela en tiempo real, que mediante un emisor-receptor vía radio se comunicará con la central de control. Pudiendo así realizar el control administrativo de la Comunidad de modo eficiente., [EN] The Community of Irrigators of Montixelvo has a facility of irrigation to pressure that leaves from a reservoir and distributes the water with sufficient pressure for the drip irrigation until each one of the plots individually. Currently, the irrigation demand distribution system is carried out at the discretion of the irrigator. Each irrigator has in its plot a hydrant composed of an irrigation meter and a manual opening and closing valve. This allows a correct operation of the facilities, since the existing network was designed with the Clèment method of reduction of flows by section according to probabilistic calculations. After a few years of operation the existing resources have decreased and are insufficient to supply 100% of the demand according to the will of the irrigators. On the other hand existing facilities require administrative control of water consumption is slow and inaccurate, because the reading of the counters is done manually, that is, by a person who runs through all the plots noting the reading of the meter, every time you want to invoice consumptions. The possibility of being able to control from the administration of the Irrigation Community the maximum consumption per unit of area of each of the plots supplied by the irrigation network in order to efficiently distribute existing resources. At the same time, taking advantage of the installations to be made, it is intended to be able to control administratively the consumption of the network through remote management. It is planned the realization of multi-user hydrants in which the hydraulic control elements of the network are safely available, where the counters of each of the plots will be grouped. These hydrants will have hydraulic valves with automatic action for opening and closing at will of the administration of the Irrigation Community. In this way, the network can be divided into sectors, distributing resources according to the needs estimated technically and with the necessary proportionality. In these multi-user hydrants, the water meters will be available, which by means of pulse emitters will inform the automatism to be installed, of the existing consumption for each plot in real time, which will be communicated with the control center by means of a radio transmitter-receiver. Being able to carry out the administrative control of the Community in an efficient way.

All residential water meters have published flow rates for which they will operate as designed. These specifications include a maximum operating flow rate, which is recommended not to exceed. However, there are situations which may cause a meter to flow above the maximum flow rate. This thesis explores what effect these surge flows have on residential water meters. Twenty-one 5/8���x3/4��� meters were tested in this study: three oscillating pistons, six nutating disks, nine ultrasonic, and three electromagnetic. Testing was done at the Utah Water Research Laboratory using a gravimetric test bench specifically designed for residential water meter testing. The results of this study showed that the ultrasonic meters decreased significantly in accuracy for tests above 35 gallons per minute. The nutating disk and oscillating piston meters were found to be accurate through nearly all surge flow rates tested. The electromagnetic meters were found to be accurate up to 55gallons per minute. Accuracy tests that were performed after surge flows showed that some nutating disk and oscillating piston meters decreased in accuracy at flow rates below two gallons per minute. The electronic meters had similar accuracy before and after surge flows.

Water is the most important and valuable resource not only for human life but also for all living things on the planet. The water supply utilities should fulfill the water requirement quantitatively and qualitatively. Drinking water systems are exposed to both natural (hurricanes and flood) and manmade hazards (risks) that are common in Palestine. Non-Revenue Water (NRW) is a manmade risk which remains a major concern in Palestine, as the NRW levels are estimated to be at a high level. In this research, Hebron city water distribution network was taken as a case study to estimate and audit the NRW levels. The research also investigated the state of the existing water distribution system in the study area by investigating the water losses and obtained more information on NRW prevention and management practices. Data and information have been collected from the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and Hebron Municipality (HM) archive. In addition to that, a questionnaire has been designed and administered by the researcher in order to collect the necessary data for water auditing. The questionnaire also assessed the views of stakeholder in PWA and HM (staff) on the current status of the NRW in the Hebron water distribution system. The important result obtained by this research shows that NRW in Hebron city was high and in excess of 30%. The main factors that contribute to NRW were the inaccuracies in billing volumes, unauthorized consumption, and the method of estimating consumptions through faulty meters. Policy for NRW reduction is available in Palestine; however, it is clear that the number of qualified staff available to carry out the activities related to leak detection is low, and that there is a lack of appropriate technologies to reduce water losses and undertake sufficient system maintenance, which needs to be improved to enhance the performance of the network and decrease the level of NRW losses., {"references":["Adu Yeboah, P., 2008, \"Management of Non-Revenue Water: A Case Study of the Water Supply in Accra, Ghana\", M.Sc. Thesis, Water, Engineering and Development Centre, Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Accra, Ghana.","International Water Association (IWA), 2003, \"Assessing Non-Revenue Water and its Components: A Practical Approach\", A Special Series for Water21 by the IWA Water Loss Task Force.","International Water Association (IWA), 2000, \"Losses from Water Supply System: Standard Terminology and Recommended Performance Measures\".","Kingdom, B., Liemberger, R., and Marin, P., 2006, \"The Challenge of Reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) in Developing Countries\", Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Board Discussion Paper Series, Paper No. 8. The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA.","McKenzie, R. and Seago, C., 2005, \"Assessment of Real Losses in Potable Water Distribution Systems: Some Recent Developments\", Water Science and Technology: Water Supply Vol 5 No 1 pp 33-40, IWA Publishing.","Palestine Water Authority (PWA).","http://wstagcc.org/en/wp content/uploads/sites/2/2015/02/5_AbuSharkh-and-AlAbri_NRW-in-water-distribution-network-Oman.pdf."]}

The aim of this research project is to discuss the role and importance of the GIS in managing the water supply and consumers. Currently, GIS plays a very important role in managing the data with spatial and non-spatial components. There are several requirements or challenges that are related to GIS integration. One of them is creating or adaption of a GIS model to accurately manage the water supply network. This requires good knowledge of the spatial data and of links between different features, all interconnected to provide appropriate functionalities. GIS is a technology that offers data processing in appropriate forms for analysis, management and presentations of results based on different requirements. Based on the options offered, this research project discusses the reasons for creating a GIS model to manage easily and more efficiently the data that comprise a potential water supply network system.

This paper presents a water meter substitution plan based on a composite "Replacement indicator" which was defined and compared with common substitution strategies based on meter age and on run-to-fail approaches. The methodology was applied to one of the 17 sub-networks in which the Palermo city water distribution network (Italy) is divided. The analysis was carried out considering a substitution budget limitation and the results showed that the use of "Replacement indicator" outperform the classical substitution strategies based on meter age because it takes into account some other variables that may affect meter precision and wearing. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

This report is a synthesis of the technical assistance (TA) and recommendations, carried out by the World Bank water and sanitation program (WSP) since September 2014. To achieve the target of 100 percent improved sanitation, there is a national drive to improve fecal sludge management (FSM). This TA recognizes that to achieve the goals it is necessary to support the development of national FSM policies, regulations, and guidelines, while also improving capacity at the local level by supporting the implementation of improved FSM models in target cities. The objective of the TA was to provide government with tested advice on how to scale up improved septage management nationwide through: (i) improvement of septage management in three cities through the application of new management models (local level); and (ii) assistance to national government in training and capacity building and the formulation of policies and regulations to improve septage management at scale (national level). This report is structured as follows: chapter one is the executive summary; chapter two gives the background to sanitation in Indonesia and to fecal sludge management in particular; chapter three provides an overview of the TA approach; chapter four gives details of the implementation of the TA; chapter five summarizes the lessons learned; and chapter six outlines the recommendations and next steps.

Over the last decade, the countries of the Latin America and the Caribbean region experienced a deep economic and social transformation which lifted millions out of poverty and swelled the ranks of the middle class. Strong economic growth driven by both domestic reforms and a favorable global economic environment, was responsible for this progress. Complementary social programs, made possible by growing fiscal space, helped finance programs that supported the poor and disadvantaged. Economic tailwinds have now receded and much of the region is now working to hold on to the recent economic and social gains. Governments are having to adjust to the new global conditions which an increasing number of analysts are regarding as 'the new normal'. This means that the region will need to work harder to (i) revive economic growth through productivity gains and stable macroeconomic policies; (ii) invest in sustainable cities and infrastructure for an increasingly urban population; and (iii) help the poor get out of poverty through quality education and health services and affordable social protection programs.

March 3, 2016 – The water meter buried in your front yard isn’t exactly the most cutting-edge piece of technology. While they are accurate, most residential water meters are read only once per month, resulting in rough usage data – often rounded to the nearest 1,000 gallons. With the limited data, water utility managers can’t distinguish individual uses, such as sprinklers versus toilets, or determine usage by time of day. This limits their ability to spot costly leaks or see opportunities for water conservation. And it gives water users no useful information about how and when they use water., https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/engineering_news/1082/thumbnail.jpg

With the exception of Myanmar, Cambodia has the lowest access to piped water supply in the South East Asia region, which was estimated to be 21 percent in 2015. Less than one in ten rural households (7 percent) have access to piped water services on their premises, while for urban households, three out of four households enjoy these services (75 percent) (WHO and UNICEF, 2015). Against this backdrop, the Government of Cambodia in its National Strategic Development Plan 2014-2018 (Royal Government of Cambodia, 2013) prioritizes the acceleration of access to piped water services, in partnership with the domestic private sector. Private water operators are licensed and regulated by the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft (MIH). Scarce public domestic financial resources are solely channeled to state-owned utilities and enforcement of regulations is generally weak. With the exception of the French Development Agency (AFD), most development partners focus their grant and lending support on public utility investments. In 2012 the private sector is already estimated to provide 1.4 million Cambodians with piped water services, with the immediate potential for expansion of existing schemes covering another 2 million and further new schemes that could viably be developed for another 3 million Cambodians (Sy, Warner, & Jamieson, 2014) and ( (DFAT, 2014). Around 300 private sector utilities, around half of which are licensed by the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft (MIH), have a market share of almost 50 percent of those with access to piped services, mostly situated in rural towns and agglomerations of settlements, with 750 to over 3000 household connections. Driven by demand for higher services, the private sector in Cambodia will be an important driver for increasing access to piped water supply, especially in the rapidly urbanizing rural growth centers of Cambodia.

Provision of safe drinking water is a basic necessity and has been a major topic for key political discourses in the country over the last decade. The Government of India has been focusing on safe drinking water since 1972-73 when it introduced the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Program (ARWSP) to assist States and Union Territories to accelerate the coverage of drinking water in the country. Despite increased outlays since then, access to safe drinking water in India remains a challenge. Apart from access, water quality and sustainability of resources (water points and infrastructure developed) are issues of major concern. The National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP), which is supplementing the efforts of the State Governments by providing technical and financial assistance, is looking at rural drinking water from a holistic viewpoint. The Ministry has shifted its focus from hand pumps to piped water supply systems with the aim of providing monitored clean water and is focusing on those States which have low levels of piped water supply. The Water and Sanitation Program has compiled an excellent collection of success stories and best practices from the States of Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Punjab and Uttarakhand which address these key constraints. Some of these success stories, such as the Asoga village intervention in Karnataka which showcases a unique demand driven approach to facilitate participatory decision making leading to community ownership, the Bidholi piped water supply scheme in Uttarakhand which manages and recovers 100 per cent operation and maintenance costs from the community, the Shikayat Nivaran Kendra experiment in Punjab which uses information technology for online web enabled centralised complaint redressal and the Water and Sanitation Management Organisation experiment in Gujarat where the registered body acts as a facilitator in developing water and sanitation facilities owned and managed by communities, are all outstanding examples of how to address various challenges and shortcomings the program is facing.

This paper presents the monitoring system of cold water meters, which are mounted on blocks in the city of Oradea. The collection and transmission of data reading system is made by Reed relay, two-wire electrical cable, electronic reader - integrator , electrical cable network - MBUS to central dispatcher. This operating system has its weaknesses, for which it will examine the collection and transmission system by radio.We have analyzed the multiple-reading and data transmission by cable, radio, wirelles and GSM. The most technically efficient and economical transmission system using radio waves.

Reliable evidence on the quality of current WSS service conditions is scarce and consumer experience and views and voices are not systematically collected and used for policy development. International experience suggests that poor drinking water and sanitation services can cause households to incur high costs for dealing with this situation. However, in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries, there is a lack of data on service quality and on such coping costs. Together with limited feedback from consumers to those that design WSS policies and programs this makes it difficult to design effective reform measures and assess their ex-ante impact on households, in particular for those at the bottom of the income distribution. This study assesses consumer experiences with current WSS services across a range of selected sites in Uzbekistan and determines consumer readiness for reform. First of all, the study analyses how surveyed consumers currently meet their drinking water and sanitation needs and what proportion of their household budget is spent on meeting their WSS needs. Second it assesses the interaction between consumers and service providers. Third it examines stakeholder views and positions on service modernization needs and assesses consumer willingness to pay for quality networked WSS services. Comparisons are made across consumers in a selection of cities, small towns and rural areas, between consumers that are connected to a networked service and those that are not, and between households in the bottom 40 percent and top 60 percent of the income distribution (as estimated through a wealth index).

Urbanization is occurring rapidly in Melanesia at 3-4 percent per annum. Due to unaffordable land and housing in formal urban areas, new migrants settle on marginal land without formal legal titles (‘informal settlements’). These settlements are growing and new settlements are emerging within and on the outskirts of towns and cities across Melanesia, at a rate that outpaces efforts to serve them. Settlements in the Melanesian capitals of Suva, Port Vila, Honiara, and Port Moresby comprise 20 percent-45 percent of the city population and at current urbanization rates will be between 30 percent and 65 percent by 2023. Information about informal settlements is scarce. This report provides a rapid review of water and sanitation services in the informal settlements in and around the capital cities of Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea.

This paper is organized into three main sections. Section one presents the background, objectives, scope, and limitations of the study. It also provides a general definition of OM and presents prototypical OM arrangements for rural CDD and community-based subprojects. Section two presents the detailed case studies for the seven selected projects. Section three summarizes the conclusions from the review and recommends steps for moving ahead. Five annexes provide extra background information, including the complete list of projects from which the seven main case studies were selected, as well as: examples of maintenance requirements for rural infrastructure; considerations for task teams planning for OM design and implementation; sample OM measures and timelines; and links to OM materials.

This paper presents the design a set of three simple and replicable behavioral interventions, which use stickers that can be added to water bills at low cost, and test their impact on water consumption in Belen, Costa Rica, using a randomized control trial. Two of the three interventions were found to decrease water consumption significantly in the months following the intervention. A descriptive social norm intervention using neighborhood comparisons reduces consumption by between 3.7 and 5.6 percent relative to a control group, while a plan-making intervention reduces consumption by between 3.4 and 5.5 percent. While the two interventions have similar results, they are effective on different subpopulations, with the plan-making intervention being most effective for low-consumption households, while the neighborhood comparison intervention is most effective for high-consumption households. The results demonstrate that behavioral interventions, which have hitherto utilized sophisticated software to deliver customized messages, can be effectively implemented by local governments in developing countries, where technology and resource constraints render the sorts of customized messaging that has typically been used to deliver them in developed countries unfeasible. The results further confirm that raising awareness about how much water an individual consumes, and comparing this consumption level with peers, can go a long way in helping change individuals’ behavior regarding the use of a finite resource such as water.

To evaluate and reflect the sustainability of services in the region, an overall sector sustainability assessment was done, taking into account four main dimensions: access to services, quality of services, efficiency of services, and financing of services. Each of these dimensions is measured through three simple and objective indicators. For each indicator, best practice values are established by looking at the best performers in the region, and countries closest to those best performers are deemed to have a more mature sector. A more complete description of the methodology to assess the sector sustainability is included in the Annex of the State of the Sector Regional Report from the Danube Water Program. The outcomes of this assessment for the Moldova water sector are presented, which also shows average and best practices in the Danube region. The Moldova sector sustainability score is 50, which is below the Danube average of 64, and is among the lowest scores in the region. The assessment shows that, on average, the country performs well in terms of collection ratio, nonrevenue water, and continuity of service. The main deficiencies of the Moldova water sector identified through the sector sustainability assessment are access to piped water and flush toilets, affordability, and investment level.

In order to evaluate the sustainability of services in the region, an overall sector maturity assessment was done taking into account four main dimensions: access to services, quality of services, efficiency of services, and financing of services. Each of these dimensions is measured through three simple and objective indicators. For each indicator, best practice values are established by looking at the best performers in the region, and countries closest to those best performers are deemed to have a more mature sector. A more complete description of the methodology to assess sector maturity is included in the annex of the state of the sector Regional Report from the Danube Water Program. The outcomes of this assessment for the Bosnia and Herzegovina water sector are displayed in Figure 10, which also shows average and best practices in the Danube region. The BiH sector maturity score is 57, which is close to the Danube average maturity of 64. The assessment shows that, on average, the country performs well in terms of access to piped water and flush toilets, and customer satisfaction. With regard to the BiH water sector, the main deficiencies identified through the sector maturity assessment are level of investment, staffing level, and wastewater treatment coverage.

To evaluate and reflect the sustainability of services in the region, an overall sector maturity assessment was done taking into account four main dimensions: access to services, quality of services, efficiency of services, and financing of services. Each of these dimensions is measured through three simple and objective indicators. For each indicator, best practice values are established by looking at the best performers in the region, and countries closest to those best performers are deemed to have a more mature sector. A more complete description of the methodology to assess the sector maturity is included in the annex of the state of the sector regional report from the Danube Water Program. The outcomes of this assessment for the Austrian water sector are presented, which also shows average and best practices in the Danube region. The Austrian sector maturity score is 96, which is significantly higher than the Danube average maturity of 64, and the highest score in the region. The assessment shows that, on average, the country performs very well in terms of access to piped water and flushes toilet, wastewater treatment coverage, customer satisfaction, continuity of service, wastewater compliance, collection ratio, and nonrevenue water.

This note has been prepared as part of the work program on multi-dimensional poverty in the Kyrgyz Republic to raise awareness of poverty dimensions, which in turn should help accelerate the development of water supply and sanitation services, and necessary reforms in the Kyrgyz Republic. The note analyzes the quality and reliability of the Integrated Households Survey (KIHS) data to measure access to water supply and sanitation services. The household survey was conducted by the National Statistics Committee (NSC) of the Kyrgyz Republic. It is representative at the national, rural/urban, and oblast levels. Using survey data we analyze the consumption of water supply and sanitation services at the household level with a focus on access, quality, and expenditures.

The severe conditions in Zimbabwe, which reached a nadir in 2008 and 2009, led to a collapse of basic systems including the reliability and safety of water supply and sanitation services, leading to an outbreak of cholera with more than 4,000 deaths and over 90,000 people infected. The World Bank provided Technical Assistance (TA) to the City of Harare to improve water and sanitation services in the period October 2012 to June 2014 to the value of approximately 600,000 US dollars. This Summary Note summarizes the key elements of the work undertaken and makes a set of recommendations to the City of Harare, the adjacent local authorities of Chitungwiza, Epworth, Norton and Ruwa, and Government of Zimbabwe to inform a strategic plan to improve water and Sanitation services in the greater Harare area. This Summary Note also sets out the context at the commencement of the TA, summarizes the work undertaken in the TA and the outcomes from this work, and makes recommendations for the way forward.

This aquaculture sector review (with supply chain mapping) has been implemented within the framework of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Armenia investment climate reform project implemented by the World Bank Group trade and competitiveness global practice, in partnership with Austria’s federal ministry of finance and Hungarian partnership funding and Hungary Export Import (EXIM) Bank. This project aims to contribute to improving the country’s investment climate and thereby to attract investments into selected branches of its economy. This aquaculture supply chain review aims to: (1) identify issues now present in the fish supply (export) chain, specifically pinpointing market imperfections as well as legal and regulatory obstacles; (2) develop recommendations to resolve the problems and challenges so identified, and thus contribute to the improvement of the business and investment environment by reducing costs and increasing productivity; and (3) contribute to enhancing the competitiveness and investment attractiveness of the Armenian fish industry as a whole. This analysis focuses on both policy and market imperfections as well as constraints along the aquaculture supply chain and the impacts these have. The analysis used local and international information sources, official statistical data, and local and international reviews and analytical materials pertaining to aquaculture. The report comprises three sections: an executive summary, a fish export supply chain analysis, and their relevant annexes.

This study explores the potential of prepaid meters for serving urban poor communities. It provides urban utilities, oversight agencies, and other stakeholders in Africa with a basis for decision-making on the suitability, introduction, and management of such meters. The need for the assessment emerged from prepaid meters increasingly being utilized by water and sanitation utilities in developing countries, including World Bank clients. The technologies adopted have expanded over this period, but there has been a lack of consolidated data and analysis that capture the service delivery, operational efficiency, and access to services aspects of such systems across utilities and regions systematically. The review initially aimed to research experiences in six African countries from the perspective of their communities, as well as from water sector bodies, governments, and other investors. The number of case studies was increased to eight with the addition of Windhoek in Namibia and Nakuru in Kenya, as it became apparent that they may offer additional lessons. Windhoek, for example, is one of the prepaid water pioneers in Africa. The study specifically canvased the perspectives of customers, including market research and opinion surveys on people s experience and views of prepaid water in practice. Women and children were well represented in many of these groups. The analysis aimed to be robustly investigative, deliberately not advocating for prepaid systems in principle, or making firm recommendations, but rather offering balanced analysis and assessment, and considerations to inform policymakers and sector leaders, as well as other stakeholders who may face decisions or challenges on such systems. One of the key conceptual bases that the analysis identified was the need to differentiate between prepaid applications of prepaid system for standpipes, individual connections, and institutional and commercial customers each of which have different implications for their users, as well as for cost effectiveness. Utilities must be able to justify the investment in a prepayment system and its opportunity costs specific to the application they choose, and relative to alternative means of improving services.

This document aims to share lessons learned from the implementation of the World Bank financed component of the rural water supply and sanitation project (EPAR) in the Sud region after its final evaluation. Leading the reform of the drinking water and sanitation sector in Haiti, the EPAR of the National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) involved the construction or rehabilitation of drinking water schemes in small towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants in the Sud region. As a result of the project, there will be a real and sustainable increase in the water supply to Haiti’s populations of benefitting communities of the Sud region, thus providing improved access for most households. A long-term solution must be implemented in order to make the meters more affordable to the operators and thus enable them to continue expanding their customer base.

Köçkar, Hakan (Balikesir Author), Co-Fe films were electrodeposited on polycrystalline Titanium substrates from the electrolytes with different pH levels. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to study the crystal structure of the films. The XRD patterns showed that the films grown at the pH levels of 3.70 and 3.30 have a mixed phase consisting of face-centred cubic (fcc) and body-centred cubic, while those grown at pH=2.90 have only fcc structure. It was observed that the film composition, by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, contain around 88 at% Co and 12 at% Fe for all films investigated in this study. Morphological observations indicated that all films have grainy structure with the slight change of grain size depending on the electrolyte pH. Magnetoresistance measurements, made at room temperature, showed that all films exhibited anisotropic magnetoresistance, which is affected by the electrolyte pH. From the magnetic measurements made by vibrating sample magnetometer, the saturation magnetization increases as the electrolyte pH decreases. Furthermore, all films have in-plane easy-axis direction of magnetization.

U radu je analizirana problematika vodoopskrbnih sustava sa stanovišta neekonomičnosti i neracionalnosti u pogledu gubitaka vode. Prikazan je uređaj za mjerenje protoka te su pokazane metode pronalaženja gubitaka. Nadzorno-upravljački sustav predstavlja ekonomski optimalno i tehnički fleksibilno rješenje u održavanju postojećih i budućih vodoopskrbnih poduzeća, a zauzima važno mjesto u radu sustava. Također su dane smjernice pristupa koji dovodi do smanjenja gubitaka, kao i osnovne informacije o IWA metodologiji vođenja bilance., This paper analyzes the issue of water supply systems from the point of irrationality and uneconomical in terms of water losses. With the basic display devices for measuring flow, detailed view is givenin the methods of finding the losses. The supervisory control system is technically flexible and economically optimal solution to maintain existing and future water supply companies, and occupies an important place in the work of system. Also, is given approach that leads to a reduction in losses and basic information on the IWA methodology of keeping balance.

The results of water meter test facility calibration are presented. More than 30 test facilities are used in Lithuania nowadays. All of them are certificated for water meter of class 2 verification.The results of inter-laboratory comparison of multi-jet water meter calibration at flow rate Q = 5 m3/h are presented. Lithuanian Energy Institute was appointed as reference laboratory for the comparison. Twelve water meter verification and calibration laboratories from Lithuania participated in the ILC. The deviations from reference values were described by the normalized deviation En. Article in Lithuanian. Vandens skaitiklių patikros įrenginiai ir jų kalibravimo rezultatai Santrauka.Lietuvoje yra daugiau kaip 1,5 mln. įvairaus pralaidumo vandens skaitiklių, kurių patikrai įsteigta daugiau kaip dešimt laboratorijų, naudojančių 32 vandens skaitiklių kalibravimo įrenginius. Darbe pateiktos pagrindinės patikros įrenginių schemos ir nurodyti metrologiniai reikalavimai, keliami šiems įrenginiams. Parodyta, kad reikiamų parametrų vandens srautą galima pasiekti dviem būdais – naudojant pastovaus lygio baką arba tiekiant vandenį siurbliais, kai vandens talpykla būna pakankamo dydžio. Pateikti laboratorijų lyginimo rezultatai, gauti kalibruojant daugiasrautį šalto vandens skaitiklį, rodo, kad rezultatų patikimumą lemia ne tik įrangos kokybė, bet ne mažiau svarbi yra ir laboratorijos personalo profesinė kompetencija. Reikšminiai žodžiai: vandens skaitikliai, patikros įrenginiai, kalibravimas, tarplaboratoriniai lyginimai, vandens srautas, normalizuota paklaida.

The purpose of this research is to find the influence of transitional flow regimes on inlet water meters . Four construction types of mechanical inlet water meters (each capacity Q = 10 m3/h) were investigated. The biggest additional volume 0,12–0,26 % when Q = 0,2…2 m3/h shows single-jet vane wheel meter. This additional volume is less 0,06–0,13 % for the multi-jet concentric water meter. The minimum influence of transitional flow regimes was for turbine water meters till 0,1 % for all flow range. The volumetric meters are not sensitive for this effect. Article in Lithuanian. Įvadinių vandens skaitiklių metrologinių charakteristikų tyrimas esant pereinamiesiems tekėjimo režimams Anotacija. Šio tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti, kokią įtaką įvadiniams vandens skaitikliams turi pereinamieji tekėjimo režimai. Tirti keturių konstrukcinių tipų mechaniniai įvadiniai vandens skaitikliai, kurių vardinis našumas Q = 10 m3/h. Didžiausią papildomą tūrį 0,12–0,26 % esant 0,2–2 m3/h debitui užregistravo viensrautis sparnelinis vandens skaitiklis. Koncentrinio daugiasraučio skaitiklio užregistruotas mažesnis papildomas tūris – 0,06–0,13 %. Mažiausiai pereinamųjų tekėjimo režimų įtaka pasireiškė turbininiam skaitikliui – 0,1 % esant visoms tikrintoms debito reikšmėms. Tuo tarpu tūriniam vandens skaitikliui ši įtaka beveik nebuvo juntama. Reikšminiai žodžiai: vandens skaitikliai, vandens apskaita, skaitiklių paklaidos, nuostoliai.

Calculating the optimum replacement period of meters has always been a major concern for water utility managers. Its determination is time-consuming and requires multiple calculations. This note presents a graphical method to obtain, in a simple but accurate manner, the optimum replacement period of installed meters. For this purpose, a chart has been produced, in which the most in¿uencing variables are considered. These variables include the degradation rate of the weighted error of the meters, the selling price of water, the acquisition and installation cost of the meters, the volume consumed by the users and the discount rate. The chart also allows for a quick sensitivity analysis of different options. For example, by plotting straight lines it is possible to determine by how much the optimum replacement frequency of a meter would change if it degrades at a different rate than expected or if the selling price of water increases., Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, through Project No. CGL2008-01910.

India being a vast and diverse country, we face many challenges in ensuring reliable, sustainable safe drinking water supply to rural households of the country. Though, in terms of provision of safe drinking water, we have covered more than 90 percent of the rural households, according to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 65th round survey 2008-09, the authors have to recognize that much remains to be done to improve levels of service delivery, water quality and sustainability. Though chemical contamination of drinking water is being tackled today in the National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP), bacteriological contamination, which is more dangerous and also more prevalent, has to be systematically measured and tackled. This requires convergence with the total sanitation campaign to ensure an open defecation free and clean environment. slightly more than 30 percent of rural households obtain their drinking water supply through taps which are more convenient, saving time and labour specially of women and children. however, this varies widely ranging from less than 5 percent in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to more than 80 percent in Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh. With the help of Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), the department of drinking water and sanitation has collected some models of good practices from different parts of the country. Care has been taken to ensure these are drawn from as many states as possible. In addition, the good practices identified cover a variety of areas ranging from improved service delivery, operation of multi-village schemes, efficient operation and maintenance, ensuring water quality, measures to ensure source sustainability, pioneering efforts for waste water management, effective communication practices that have been adopted and institutional reforms at state level that have been tried out.

Infrastructure plays a key role in promoting economic growth and opportunities.In particular, the efficient provision of basic infrastructure services, like water and sanitation, is a key ingredient in fostering a country's social and economic development. Previous studies have found that infrastructure has a positive impact on output, and can improve economic opportunity, including health and education for the poor, particularly in developing countries. In Argentina, a 2005 study, found that child mortality fell by 8 percent in areas that had experienced improved coverage and quality of basic water and sanitation through utility reform, with most of the reduction occurring in low-income areas where the water network expanded the most. More generally, Fay and Morrison found that allowing the poorest quintile in developing countries the same access to basic services as the richest quintile would reduce child mortality by 8 percent and child under development by 14 percent. Calderon and Serven also found a significant positive impact of infrastructure access and quality on overall inequality. Furthermore, the book sheds some light on how to address the main challenge for the future which may be to attract specialized operators to the smaller municipalities which do not currently have them. For that purpose in Colombia, for example, over the last two years, the policy framework has been focused on promoting the sector's development, by using the departments as the intermediate institutional level between the National Government and the municipalities, to formulate programs with regional impact and promote comprehensive investment plans.

We demonstrate that a micro Coriolis mass flow sensor can be excited in its torsional movement by applying parametric excitation. Using AC-bias voltages for periodic electrostatic spring softening, the flow-filled tube exhibits a steady vibration at suitable voltage settings. Measurements show that the sensor for this type of excitation can be used to measure water flow rates within a range of 0±500 ul/h with an accuracy of 1% full scale error.