NT Reporter
Margao
In a bid to reduce non-revenue water, the Department of Drinking Water will fast-track the installation of 813 flow meters for village-wise monitoring of water consumption in the new financial year.
An official said that while the department has records of the number of connections in each village and the amount of water billed, it does not have data on how much water enters each village, which will now be monitored through the flow meters.
“This will help detect anomalies in water flow, and if discrepancies are significant, the department can investigate the reasons. A 10% loss as non-revenue water is normal; however, a significant spike could indicate leakages or water theft,” he said, adding that non-revenue water currently stands at nearly 40 per cent of the total water treated at the Selaulim treatment plant.
He said the flow meters will monitor the amount of water released constituency-wise and track how much enters the distribution line in each village.
“Losses due to pipe bursts have been reduced in recent years,” he said.
The proposal has been taken up under the Jal Jeevan Mission with financial support from the state and central governments.
The department had earlier set a deadline of March 31 to complete the project. However, administrative delays have affected implementation, and the department is now pushing for early installation of the flow meters.
“The proposal was initially taken up by the PWD water works division before the Drinking Water Department was carved out, resulting in administrative delays that affected execution,” said sources. The official stated that with the monsoon approaching, installation may face further delays even if the work order is issued after the election code of conduct is lifted.
