Jimma Water Supply And Sewerage Service Enterprise

Non Revenue Water Reduction And Pressure Management An Inception Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................................ I
LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................................................................... II
LIST OF TABLES......................................................................................................................................... II
1.0 BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................3
1.2. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE INCEPTION REPORT...............................................................................................4
1.3. METHODOLOGY OF COMPILING THE INCEPTION REPORT...............................................................................5
1.4.0 THE PROJECT AREA........................................................................................................................ 5
1.4.1 Location...................................................................................................................................................5
1.4.2 Climate....................................................................................................................................................6
1.4.3 Hydrology...............................................................................................................................................7
1.4.4 Demography..........................................................................................................................................8
2.0 PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF SERVICES.........................................................................8
2.1 PROJECT OBJECTIVES...................................................................................................................................... 8
2.2 SCOPE OF THE CONSULTANCY SERVICES......................................................................................................9
2.2.1 Locating the water meters of the enterprise’s customer,s with GPS and further
study on NRW...................................................................................................................................................9
2.2.2 Production metering...........................................................................................................................9
2.2.3 Improvement of operational sub systems:..............................................................................10
2.2.4 DMA Establishment:.........................................................................................................................10
2.2.5 Leak Detection Equipment:...........................................................................................................11
2.2.6 Leak Repair on Primary and Secondary lines:........................................................................11
2.2.7 Replacement of leaking service connection:..........................................................................11
2.2.8 Hydraulic modeling and detailed design:.................................................................................12
3.0 METHODOLOGY TO BE FOLLOWED............................................................................................... 12
6.0 Conclusions and Recommendations.......................................................................................21

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List of Figures

FIGURE 1 LOCATION MAP OF PROJECT AREA (MS CONSULT, 2008)......................................................................6

FIGURE 2 THE VICIOUS VS THE VIRTUOUS CIRCLES OF NON REVENUE WATER...................................................13
FIGURE 3 WATER BALANCE THAT SHOWED NON REVENUE WATER (IWA, 2000).............................................14
FIGURE 4 DISTRICT METER AREA DESIGN SAMPLE..................................................................................................15
FIGURE 5 TYPICAL WATER METER WHICH IS EXPOSED TO DAMAGE WHICH IS FOUND AT ¾ KEBELE, JIMMA
TOWN................................................................................................................................................................17
FIGURE 6 DIFFERENT BRAND AND TYPE OF WATER METERS AVAILABLE IN JIMMA TOWN WATER SUPPLY
NETWORK.......................................................................................................................................................... 17
FIGURE 7 . WATER LOSS BEFORE CUSTOMER’S WATER METER IS ONE COMPONENT OF NRW AT JIMMA TOWN 18
FIGURE 8 CONTINUOUS PIPE BURST IS OBSERVED DUE TO POOR ASSET MANAGEMENT. THE WATER PIPE IS
DAMAGED SINCE IT WAS EXPOSED ON ROAD. THIS PICTURE IS TAKEN AT 3/7 KEBELE(‘KEYAFER’), JIMMA
TOWN................................................................................................................................................................20
FIGURE 9 UN ATTENDED WATER METERS, WHICH CAN CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE..............................................20
FIGURE 10 EXPOSED PIPE IS ALWAYS VULNERABLE TO DAMAGE AND BURST. THIS PICTURE IS TAKEN AT 3/7
KEBELE(‘KEYAFER’), JIMMA TOWN.....................................................................................................................20

List of Tables

Table 1 Mean Monthly Metrological Data of Jimma Town (MS Consult, 2008)..................................7

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1.0 Background

1.1 Introduction

This document consists of an inception report for the consultancy service

agreement between Jimma Town Water Supply and Sewerage Service Enterprise
(JTWSSSE) and MS Consultancy for performing non revenue water reduction and
pressure management. This inception report is based on desk based reviews and
brief field visit made by the consultant’s staff and outlines the observations and
defines the general methodologies and procedures to be followed in subsequent
stages of the project.

The project aims to promote acceptable reduction of non revenue water (NRW) in
Jimma Town. Basically high levels of NRW result from huge volumes of water lost
through leaks or water not invoiced to customers or both, and this seriously affects
financial viability of the Enterprise through lost revenues, increased operational
costs and, eventually, increased capital costs.

Reducing nonrevenue water levels does not necessarily compromise on the

Enterprise will to subsidize services for the poorer sections of the town; rather, it
allows for improved transparency and accountability, and for ensuring better
targeting of subsidies such that they are more equitable and actually reach poor
people. Reducing NRW, and hence improving cost recovery, is an important task for
the Enterprise since it is considered a crucial step towards improving its financial
soundness and creditworthiness.

In spite of its potential benefits, NRW reduction is not easy to implement, especially
in an intermittent service environment. Reducing NRW is not technically difficult; it
is, however, challenging in a town like Jimma since illegal connections that
contribute to NRW can only be eliminated when the enterprise can exercise taking
or is empowered to take measures against such practices to keep illegal
connections under control. Plus repeated water pipe line breakages, due to road
construction and telecom service expansion, contributes to an increase in the
volume of the NRW. Plus revenue collection from the customers is not well planed
and practiced by the enterprise, which also escalates the non accountable water
volume.

Understanding the range of factors which contribute to the shortage of water supply
in Jimma Town one can rightly infer that a long term solution to the water supply
problem in Jimma Town cannot be solved by purely relying on perpetual expansion
of the water collection, treatment and distribution system but by integrating a
range of physical engineering measures as well as system management concepts,

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improving the efficiency of water utilities and bringing sensible governance to the
water board and instilling performance based reward mechanism in the system. A
systematic intrusion to restrain the magnitude of the non revenue water and the
introduction of a strategy to reduce it to an acceptable level (beyond which no
improvement cannot be realistically attained) is fundamental to bridging the supply
and demand gap as well as strengthening the utilities financial capacity to invest in
system improvements from its own coffers. The approach to reducing NRW levels
includes a set of technical programs and activities aimed at the optimization of
water supply through improved operations and maintenance, sound commercial
practices and network refurbishment, rehabilitation and management.

Briefly, the inception report outlines the general methodology the consultant will
follow in order to fulfill its obligations as depicted in the scope of work agreed upon.

1.2. The objectives of the Inception Report

As stated in the terms of reference (TOR), this report is the first deliverable of the
non revenue water reduction and pressure management as per annex B of the
contract agreement.
The inception report is aimed at:

1. Informing the client about the methodology to be followed and the planned
stages of the study and design work

2. Validate the scope of the work on the basis of the available and pertinent
information from our preliminary investigations.

3. Suggest possible adjustments and revisions to the scope of the work.

4. Clarify the existing condition based on desk based investigation of secondary

data and field based assessment.

5. Define issues pertaining to overall study and design methodology.

6. Draw primary recommendations on the basis of the information collected.

1.3. Methodology of compiling the inception report

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Preparation of this inception report for scrutiny and review by Jimma Town Water
Supply and Sewerage Service Enterprise is based on a detailed study of the initial
technical proposal.
This is augumented by

1. Detailed study of general relevant documentation available at the

Consultant’s office and other relevant information in the possession of the
consulting office.

2. The Consultants prior involvement in the study and design phase of the
Jimma Town’s water supply expansion project and current involvement in the
construction supervision of the construction of the expansion project

3. First hand information from the Consultants own team currently working on
ground to reduce non revenue water and to locate each customer’s water
meter

4. Field visit by the working team and explanation and assistance of the client to
identify the source of NRW

This inception report will serve as a working reference document throughout the
duration of the assignment.

1.4.0 The Project Area

1.4.1 Location

Jimma town is situated in the southwestern part of Oromia Regional State at latitude
of 7040`N and longitude 36050`E at a road distance of 352 km from Addis Ababa.
The town lies on gentle slope with an elevation varying from 1,700masl to
2,020masl. The climate of the area is characterized as temperate and humid. The
town is an important commercial center for coffee trading. For administrative
purpose, the town is divided into thirteen kebeles.

Jimma
Jimma

Jimma Town
Region: Oromia
Zone: Jimma
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Woreda: Jimma Woreda
Distance from Capital (AA): 352KM
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Figure 1 Location Map of Project Area (MS Consult, 2008).

1.4.2 Climate

The annual rainfall of Jimma Town varies from 1414.4mm to 2392.3mm with a mean
annual value of 1769.7mm according to the five years rainfall data collected from
the National Meteorological Agency of Jimma Sub-branch. Although Jimma area has
almost all year round precipitation, most of the rain occurs in July followed by
August as indicated in the five year rainfall distribution data, will be annexed to the
design review report. The rainfall in May and June is almost quite significant.
Maximum temperature in Jimma Town occurs in March and April and minimum
temperatures are at their lowest in November to February. The mean monthly
metrological data of the area is presented in table below.

Table 1 Mean Monthly Metrological Data of Jimma Town (MS Consult, 2008).

Fe No
Parameter Jan Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Dec
b v

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Mean Monthly 28. 29. 29.9 28.4 27.9 26.5 24.3 25.1 25.2 26.4 24. 27.7
Max. Temp, (oC) 86 30 8 6 4 8 6 0 6 7 70 0

Mean Monthly 9.0 9.8 10.2 13.2 13.3 13.8 14.1 13.8 14.0 12.1 9.2
7.69
Min. Temp, (oC) 2 8 8 3 0 0 7 7 2 1 0

Mean Monthly 39. 33. 117. 117. 220. 195. 243. 238. 198. 98.7 65. 34.7
Rainfall, (mm) 08 94 98 06 36 30 76 12 76 8 76 4

Monthly
Percentage
2.4 2.1 13.7 12.1 15.2 14.8 12.3 4.1
contribution of 7.36 7.30 6.16 2.17
4 2 4 8 0 5 9 0
rainfall, (%)

1.4.3 Hydrology

Jimma Town is located in the upper part of the Gibe-Omo River Basin which drains
into Lake Rudolf on the Ethiopia-Kenya Border. The nearest major tributary near to
Jimma is the Gilgel Gibe River, which flows just to the south of the town. The town is
drained by two small streams, the Aweytu and the Kitto, which subsequently join the
Gilgel Gibe River.

The topographic slope of the town is very gentle as a result of which land adjacent
to some of the rivers and streams tends to be swampy. Besides, these areas are
flooded during the wet season. The base flow of the streams draining the town is
maintained by the groundwater discharge, mostly from volcanic rocks underlying
the topographically high areas.

Conditions for groundwater recharge in the uplands seem to be favorable. Exposures

in road cuts, quarries and borrow pits show that the volcanic rocks are quite deeply
weathered and the weathered layer at the surface is permeable. Numerous springs
found in the different parts of the town are indicators that the volcanic rocks are
aquifers.

1.4.4 Demography

Jimma Town has had a very steady growth rate for a long period. However, recently
the population of the town has exponentially increased after the town has become
the largest coffee trading center in the nation. According to the 1994 Population and
Housing Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency, the population size of
the town was 88,867.

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Projecting the population of the town to 2007 using the 1994 census would result
167,359. However, the population and housing census indicated in the year 2007
revealed that the population of the town was 120,960 as of 2007 as presented in
Table 1-2 on the next page. On the other hand, the population of the town as
reported by the Municipality Kebele officials in 2007 was 166,000. This indicates
that populations as estimated by the projection and reported by the municipality are
almost comparable. However, the two values are considerably higher than the
census result of 2007 by more than 40,000.

2.0 Project objectives and scope of services

2.1 Project Objectives

The objective of the project is to thoroughly fulfill the required engineering service
to the highest professional standards, as defined in the terms of reference, to
critically examine the towns water supply system to reduce non revenue water in
the town with the intent to attain additional water that can be put to the public
service and cater for long term sustainability by developing a sensible strategy for
the same purpose. In addition, the project highly focused on revenue generation by
considering miscellaneous gaps which escalate the commercial losses. The general
objectives of the project are as summarized below:

 To locate each customers water meter using GPS and to review the billing
process of the enterprise for further finding;

 Establish the extent and nature of leakage in the towns’ water supply
system ;

 GIS based hydraulic remodelling of the existing water supply system ;

 Establishing and investigating district metered areas as sensible NRW

management strategy ;

 Establish the relationship between pressure management and leakage

reduction and develop a strategic approach for leakage management across
different pressure zones ;

 Establish appropriate water distribution system survey, operation and

maintenance procedures and practices as a precursor for a sustainable non
revenue water reduction strategy.

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2.2 Scope of the consultancy services

The Consultant detailed the scope of the work reflecting on the general themes
provided in the TOR and drawing both on scientific as well as practical judgments.
The scope of the consultancy services as defined in the ToR comprises; even there
are tasks which are not stated on ToR that are underway to help the client in
reducing the NRW to acceptable level; but not limited to the following activities

2.2.1 Locating the water meters of the enterprise’s customer,s with GPS
and further study on NRW

This assignment is not stated on ToR but the consultant agreed to carry out the task
since the task has direct implication and relation towards NRW reduction strategies.
At the time of this inception report compilation, a team is out on the field to locate
each customer water meter using GPS. Plus the team is also working customer
survey to check apparent (commercial) losses which are one of the major
contributors to NRW, resulting from the unauthorized consumption of water either
through inaccurate customer meters, illegal connections or bad practice when
reading meters. In addition the team tries to work on preliminary physical losses
(like pipe burst) assessment.

2.2.2 Production metering

As a pre cursor to the overall water balance study in the system here the Consultant
is anticipated to study and examine the water reservoirs in the system which require
installation of out flow measuring devices. The Consultant will assess and specify
the appropriate kind of bulk flow water meter by developing technical criteria taking
in to consideration the towns practice, experience and industry performance
measures and up on purchase, by the utility, oversee the installation of the flow
meters at the out lets of the pre-determined reservoirs.

2.2.3 Improvement of operational sub systems:

Under this assignment, the Consultant is required to undertake, but not limited to
the following works:

 Distribution system restructuring ;

 Creation of new sub systems ;

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 Aligning the JTWSSSE branch boundaries with the new sub - systems
boundaries;

 Model the operational network capability to better distribute water to areas

with very limited supply of water at present;

 Installation of bulk meters at sub-system inlets and out lets;

 Inflow and out flow accounting to the established sub-systems

2.2.4 DMA Establishment:

Determining the exact location of NRW occurrences – and where reduction activities
should take place- can be quite a challenge especially for large networks. Generally
NRW management in an open system is undertaken in a passive manner where NRW
reduction activities are initiated only when the loss becomes visible or is reported. A
more effective approach is active leakage management where dedicated team is
sent out to monitor for leakage regularly. This is possible using zones, where the
whole system is divided in to smaller sub-systems. The overall objective here is to
design and commissioning of small hydraulically discrete parts of the distribution
network (district metered areas), equip them with inflow meter, a pressure reducing
valve and a pressure logger.

2.2.5 Leak Detection Equipment:

Here the Consultant is required to develop pertinent specification for procuring leak
detection equipment to meet client’s interest in NRW reduction.

2.2.6 Leak Repair on Primary and Secondary lines:

Some of the activities the Consultant is required to perform in this theme include:

 Identify leaks on primary and secondary line based pertinent field survey
using the leak detection equipment;

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 Estimate the scope and magnitude of the maintenance work required and
define the materials and man hours needed to do the maintenance work;

 Estimate the monetary value of the scope and magnitude of the maintenance
work anticipated;

 Make a budgetary provision for the procurement of repair materials and the
execution of the repair work.

2.2.7 Replacement of leaking service connection:

Under this assignment, the Consultant is required to undertake, but not limited to
the following works:

 Identify leaks on service lines based on pertinent field survey using leak
detection equipment;

 Estimate the scope and magnitude of the renovation/maintenance work and

define the materials and man hours needed to do the maintenance work;

 Estimate the monetary value of the scope and magnitude of the maintenance
work anticipated;

 Make a budgetary provision for the procurement of repair materials and the
execution of the repair work.

2.2.8 Hydraulic modeling and detailed design:

During the reconnaissance survey of NRW and customer water meter inspection, the
team observed that there are customers who are not able to get water because of
poor water network management which leads the enterprise not to sell produced
water. To alleviate the situation, here the Consultant is envisaged to develop a
hydraulic model of the Jimma town water distribution system that includes the
primary and secondary lines using GIS interface.

3.0 Methodology to be followed

Jimma water supply and sewerage service enterprise has problems in understanding
the magnitude of NRW. This is due to lack of a meaningful standard approach to
estimate and report NRW levels. Very little data is available as JWSSSE lack the

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systematic reporting and monitoring systems, such as water balance calculations,

for assessing water losses and NRW performance.
A water balance calculates the total production viz-a-viz the total billed consumption
and the total losses..
Water losses can be categorized into:

A) Physical
These are losses due to leaking pipelines, devices, reservoirs, water meters,
etc. Part of such losses could be passive, meaning that these the leaks can
not be seen on the surface until the soil is saturated and a sign of leakage
can be visible on the surface.

B) Non physical losses

These constitute losses due to:
- Unmetered but legal
- Illegal connections
- Meter inaccuracies
- Inaccurate meter reading
- Erroneous billing procedure
The determination of the water balance can be performed using two methods:

1) Indirectly by calculating by calculating over a significant period of time by

taking the difference of the net water production and the total water billed.
This accounts for the system loss.
2) By directly measuring the leakages of the representative subsystems, where
ever it is possible, which will provide the complementary water losses

The basic aim of the performance improvement series is to help the enterprise
understand and adopt mechanisms to promote cost recovery and sustainable
revenue strategies, as well as help achieve financially viable and sustainable
services. The enterprise is able to focus not only on specific performance
improvement areas by advancing technical, commercial, and operational efficiency
—such as leak reduction, billing and collection, customer service, and tariff setting,
among others—but also ensure that such improvements remain sustainable and
viable in the long term through arrangements such as performance agreements,
monitoring, and evaluation.

The vicious circle of NRW is one of the key reasons for poor enterprise’s
performance and results in both physical and commercial losses. Physical losses, or
leakages, divert precious water from reaching customers and increase operating
costs: larger investments than necessary to augment network capacity. Commercial
losses, caused by customer meter inaccuracies, poor data handling, and illegal
connections, reduce income and thereby financial resource generation. But now the
enterprise wants to transform the Vicious Circle into the virtuous circle. In effect,

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reducing NRW releases new sources of both water and finances. Reducing excessive
physical losses results in a greater amount of water available for consumption and
postpones the need for investing in new sources. It also lowers operating costs.
Similarly, reducing commercial losses generates more revenues.

Figure 2 The vicious Vs the virtuous circles of Non Revenue Water

The first step in reducing non revenue water is to develop an understanding of the
big picture of the water system, which involves establishing a water balance. This
process helps JWSSSE to understand the magnitude, sources, and cost of NRW. Non
revenue water components cover the entire water utility supply system from the
water treatment plant outlet meters to the customer meters, which means that
managing NRW is the responsibility of the entire operations department.

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Figure 3 Water balance that showed Non Revenue Water (IWA, 2000)

The International Water Association (IWA) defined the above terms as follow.

 System Input Volume is the volume input to that part of the water supply
system.

 Authorised Consumption is the volume of metered and non-metered water

taken by registered customers, the water supplier, and others who are
implicitly or explicitly authorized to do so (e.g. water used in government
offices or fire hydrants). It includes exported water and the leaks and
overflows after the point of customer metering.

 Non-Revenue Water (NRW) is the difference between System Input

Volume and Billed Authorised Consumption. NRW consists of Unbilled
Authorised Consumption (usually a minor component of the water balance)
and Water Losses.

 Water Losses is the difference between System Input Volume and

Authorised Consumption. It consists of Commercial Losses and Physical
Losses

 Commercial Losses, sometimes referred to as ‘apparent losses’, consist of

Unauthorised Consumption and all types of metering inaccuracies

 Physical Losses, sometimes referred to as ‘real losses’, are the volumes lost
through all types of leaks, bursts and overflows on mains, service reservoirs
and service connections, up to the point of customer metering.

NRW management by Jimma Town Water Supply and Sewerage Service Enterprise is
undertaken in a passive manner where NRW reduction activities are initiated only
when the loss becomes visible or is reported. But a more effective approach is to
move towards active NRW Management where dedicated teams are established and

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sent out to look for water losses, such as leaks, reservoir overflows, and illegal
connections.

Active NRW Management is only possible using zones, where the system as a whole
is divided into a series of smaller sub-systems for which NRW can be calculated
individually. These smaller sub-systems, often referred to as District Meter Areas
(DMAs) should be hydraulically isolated so that to calculate the volume of water lost
within the DMA. When a supply system is divided into smaller, more manageable
areas, better target NRW reduction activities, isolate water quality problems, and
better manage overall system pressure.

Figure 4 District meter area design sample

Physical losses within a DMA are effectively pipe leaks on the main pipes and
customer connections. Leakage occurs through holes or cracks in the main pipes or
at pipe joints, which will leak water constantly. In contrast, leaks from customer
connections fluctuate with customer demand throughout the day, with peak
demand in the morning and evening, and a minimum demand at night when most
customers are asleep and not using water.

Reducing water losses due to leakage can be done using different methods with
increasing sophistication and generally also in cost and man power required.

The following methods are used, from which the final recommendation will be based
on economic analysis:

- pressure control

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- passive leakage control

- visual inspection

- routine sounding

- direct leakage measurement

Establishing a DMA and the subsequent reduction in NRW will improve the water
pressure within the DMA. As leaks are repaired, the flows within the DMA will
decrease and thus the friction head losses are reduced, which has the effect of
increasing DMA system pressures. These increases in pressure will become even
more pronounced at night when demands are low and friction head losses are even
lower.

Improved pressure control presents dual benefits of reducing leakages and

stabilizing system pressures, which increase asset life. Most pipe bursts occur not
because of high pressure but rather due to ongoing pressure fluctuations that force
the pipe to continually expand and contract, resulting in stress fractures. Installing a
pressure control device, such as a pressure reducing valve (PRV), helps to reduce
pressure throughout the day, stabilize fluctuations, and reduce stress on pipes.

5.0 Preliminary Findings

MS Consultancy deployed a team to conduct preliminary assessment on non

revenue water and to locate customer’s water meter using GPS. During this survey
the team tried to investigate the major causes of non revenue water and basis of
loss of revenue for the enterprise. To reduce NRW at Jimma Town the following
problems has to be addressed properly. The consultant observed that the direct and
indirect causes ofes of the NRW of Jimma to be related to:

A. Multiplicity of Water meter Brands and types

Different water meter types are available in the network. Water meters are not
calibrated very well, causing inaccurate readings and contributing to NRW.
Inaccurate meters tend to under-register water consumption—leading to reduced
sales and therefore reduced revenue. Only very rarely do meters over-register
consumption. Jimma Town Water Supply and Sewerage Service Enterprise should
focus initially on large customers, such as industrial or commercial users, since they
consume a larger volume of water and often pay a higher tariff. Using data from
accurate meters to bill customers, rather than charging them based on an assumed
per capita basis, ensures that customers are charged according to their actual
consumption and encourages them to preserve water.

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Figure 5 Typical water meter which is exposed to damage which is found at ¾

kebele, Jimma Town

Figure 6 Different brand and type of water meters available in Jimma Town water
supply network

B. Billing system

Sometimes connections are made legally, but the billing department is not notified
of the new connection. Therefore, the customer is never billed. This is mainly due to

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negligence of the concerned employees of the enterprise, which we feel can be

later addressed through training and awareness creation. This also includes the
timely preparation of the bills, which sometimes lags beyond what it should take.
This affects proper revenue collection by the enterprise.
This has been verified during our assessment survey, as we found a lot of
customers, who are not billed since the last six/seven months. .

C. Water meter reading

After long years of service in one community, water meter readers and the
customers get acquinted with each other, to such an extent that this acquaintance,
in some instances leads to corruption. Hence, adjustments in readings are made to
favor customers to the loss of revenue to the enterprise

During the survey the team observed the following gaps.

a. Readers are not able to cover the assigned region. Hence, they report zero
reading. This affects both the enterprise and the customers as timely
collection by the enterprise is not made and customers are forced to pay
accumulated bills at a later date. This, in addition creates
misunderstanding and mistrust between the two parties
b. Water meter readers are not reporting to the enterprise immediately when
they observe a leaking.

Figure 7 . water loss before customer’s water meter is one component of NRW at
Jimma Town

D. Pipe network problem

The existing water distribution system of the town is characterized by

misconnections and faulty networking systems and this is causing and creates an
inbalance between demand and supply.

MS Consultancy Tel: 011 651 7869 Fax: 011 663 7515 e-mail: msc@ethionet.et P.O.Box 4120 18
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MS Consultancy will focus in depth on water network restructuring.

Poor assets and personnel management

Asset management is good engineering and business practice, and it includes all
aspects of utility management and operations. Good asset management is a
necessity for long-term economic leakage management, and the objective is to
tackle leaks in the most cost-effective way. This requires priority setting and
decisions on whether to repair, replace, rehabilitate, or leave the assets as they are,
while simultaneously implementing pressure management and improving the
operation and maintenance program. The team observed that, asset management
is not well practiced in the enterprise. This poor management is observed in many
part of the network that affects customer’s water demand and forced customers to
purchase water from other localities. By practicing asset management further
revenue generation can be revealed.

Figure 8 Continuous pipe burst is observed due to poor asset management. The
water pipe is damaged since it was exposed on road. This picture is taken at 3/7
kebele(‘keyafer’), Jimma Town.

MS Consultancy Tel: 011 651 7869 Fax: 011 663 7515 e-mail: msc@ethionet.et P.O.Box 4120 19
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Jimma Water Supply And Sewerage Service Enterprise
Non Revenue Water Reduction And Pressure Management An Inception Report

Figure 9 Un attended Water meters, which can cause further damage.

Such is the case, which should have been reported by water meter readers. This
picture is taken at 3/7 kebele(‘keyafer’), Jimma Town.

Figure 10 Exposed pipe is always vulnerable to damage and burst. This picture is
taken at 3/7 kebele(‘keyafer’), Jimma Town.

E. Insufficiency of Water

MS Consultancy Tel: 011 651 7869 Fax: 011 663 7515 e-mail: msc@ethionet.et P.O.Box 4120 20
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Jimma Water Supply And Sewerage Service Enterprise
Non Revenue Water Reduction And Pressure Management An Inception Report

Due to the rapid economic growth of the nation in general, and Jimma town in
particular, the demand grows drastically and the supply could not cope with this
growing demand.

6.0 Conclusions and Recommendations

In accordance to our preliminary observations, the following are salient points and
recommendations made.

 The scope of the work may require to be updated as and when the situation
in the ground dictates.

 While the general improvement in reduction of non revenue water is

noticeable, the performance of the system will be encountered with
obstacles, unless operational management issues are properly addressed.

 Awareness training needs to be conducted to make sure that immoral

activities are discouraged

 Equipments and spare parts for priority action need to be available or if not
be urgently procured

 Counter part staff need to be consistently be assigned as per their trade

 Conducting a complete customer survey within each District Metered Area

(DMA), whereby utility representatives visit every property in the DMA—
whether or not they are recorded in the billing system.

 From our preliminary assessment, we have learnt and we would further like to
notify that, with the given manpower and duration, the activities to be
performed shall cover only two or three representative subzones, the result
of which will be extrapolated to cover the entire project area.

MS Consultancy Tel: 011 651 7869 Fax: 011 663 7515 e-mail: msc@ethionet.et P.O.Box 4120 21
Addis
Ababa