Nancy Cho, C.P.E.S.C. serves as a senior project manager in our environmental services group. She is a certified professional in erosion and sediment control (CPESC) and specializes in water loss audits; risk and resilience assessments; emergency response plans; consumer confidence reports; stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) development; permitting and inspection; wellhead protection planning; wetland delineations; wetland, waterway, and floodplain permitting; national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) compliance; permitting for industries and municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) communities; and MS4 ordinance and policy development.
Most people don’t think about their local water system or utility, they simply turn on the faucet and water comes out. However, behind that simple expectation are our water utilities, which work to deliver safe, clean water that people can trust every day.
Every gallon that leaves a water utility’s treatment plant has gone through a rigorous process. It has been pumped, treated, and tested to meet strict standards. Sometimes treated water then doesn’t make it to the customer or is otherwise unaccounted for. This could be due to leaks, aging pipes, theft, or other issues. These issues can be exacerbated by pressure fluctuations, old infrastructure, outdated policies, or insufficient asset management.
Doing a water loss audit helps a utility identify issues that create loss within the system.
The utilities that supply our water often think of water loss in terms of its cost because lost water means lost revenue. A water loss audit starts as a desktop process to look at the administrative activities of a utility. Focusing only on dollar signs though, misses the bigger picture. Water loss is also tied to water quality, the health of the system that supplies the water, and the delivery of the water to the community.
When an audit finds that asset management and billing are in good order, it then looks to physical issues such as leaks or aging infrastructure. An audit can also show if it is likely that meter reading, meter calibration, tracking of water used for maintenance, internal policies, or other parameters need to be improved.
Water loss audits can help utilities answer the question: Where is the water going? But the value of the audit goes well beyond that. A good audit provides utilities a clearer understanding of how a utility’s system is performing and where attention is needed.
Water systems are one of the most visible services a community depends on, and when something goes wrong, people notice. Staying ahead of potential issues helps maintain confidence and shows that the system is being managed carefully. A water loss audit is a helpful tool for achieving these goals.
We see water loss audits as more than a checked box. We see them as a practical way to better understand a system and make informed decisions about where to focus resources. When utilities take that step, they’re not just saving money, they’re helping protect local water systems so people in their community can confidently turn on their faucets.
It’s not just about infrastructure; it’s about taking care of the communities those water systems serve.
There is no water problem we can’t solve together™.