Active Leakage Control in the Water Supply Network – a Best Practice from Korca Regional Water Supply and Sewerage Company

Active Leakage Control in the Water Supply Network – a Best Practice from Korca Regional Water Supply and Sewerage Company

Non-revenue water management affects all aspects of the sustainable operation of a water supply system. In addition to economic, technical and social impacts, non-revenue water has also environmental impacts, as it relates to the overexploitation of the groundwater resources.

The city of Korca is being supplied by ground water from the aquifer of Turan, and Korca Regional Water Supply and Sewerage Company (Korca RWSS Company) has developed a clear and effective program for non-revenue water management. At the center of this management program is the active leakage control, which aims to reduce as much as possible the negative impacts of non-revenue water.

Active leakage control begins with the analysis of the current situation of a water supply system.

In order to perform the “diagnosis” of a system, the value of the Infrastructure Leakage Index (ILI) must be determined, through which we determine the category of real loss management performance. The information provided by this index highlights the “weak points” of the system and clearly guides us on how to develop an effective program for active leakage control.

Korca RWSS Company has a unit dedicated to the active leakage control. The staff of this unit are trained and specialized in the use of all the equipment for detecting the cracks in the network.

The detailed daily program includes all the technical documentation such as AS_BUILD (Applied Network Project) and other data for the most effective use of equipment, reducing the time of controls and increasing the control areas for the widest possible coverage.

The results of these controls are reflected in every aspect of the water supply operation and are directly related to the reduction of negative impacts on the use of groundwater.

Note: the above content is written by Eng. Thoma Koroveshi, Hydraulic Engineer and Head of the Loss Unit, Korca RWSS Company, while the full presentation on this topic was presented by Eng. Koroveshi during the 10^th Balkans Joint Conference and Exhibition held on 8-10 November 2022, in Prishtina, Kosova.  You can access the full presentation through this LINK.

Thoma Koroveshi graduated from the Polytechnic University of Tirana, Faculty of Civil Engineering, with a Master of Science degree in Hydraulic Engineering. He has 5 years of work experience in designing, implementing, and managing in Water Supply-Sewerage sector. His major responsibility at Korca RWSS Company includes the drafting of Projects for water supply and sewerage systems. Regarding management duties, he is specialized in designing strategies for reducing losses and using devices for active leakage control.