India’s water sector is leveraging technology and digital solutions to meet rising demand sustainably. Smart metering, digital monitoring and network upgrades are reducing losses, improving efficiency and enabling water reuse for agriculture, industry and non-potable purposes. Advanced treatment, automation and data-driven resource management are driving a shift towards resilient, resource-efficient water systems. Leading experts discuss the strategies adopted to reduce non-revenue water (NRW) by urban local bodies and technology providers…
Shamim Akhtar
A multi-faceted, technology-driven approach is being adopted to establish efficient distribution systems and significantly reduce water losses. The key strategies include:
Monitoring and measurement
- Bulk metering: Installing bulk water meters at the source (such as treatment plant outputs) and at strategic points along distribution mains. This enables accurate measurement of water entering different zones and helps pinpoint areas of major loss.
- Smart metering network: Deploying smart meters at important intermediate points and automatic meter reading meters at the consumer end to create a detailed, real-time picture of water flow across the network.
Real-time data and control (SCADA integration)
All meters are connected to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. This enables utilities to monitor network performance 24×7 from a central location, identify and respond to leaks and bursts immediately, and analyse consumption patterns and pressure data to optimise operations.
Piloting continuous water supply (24×7)
- A fundamental shift from intermittent to continuous water supply is being pioneered.
- Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)-town initiative: Each city under the AMRUT mission has designated at least one ward for a pilot project for implementing 24×7 water supply.
- Ayodhya as a model project: The entire city of Ayodhya (all 18 wards) is being transitioned to a 24×7 supply system. Currently, three wards have already been successfully activated.
Results and behavioural change
The pilot in Ayodhya has demonstrated direct benefits, including improved service, with residents receiving water at high and consistent pressure, and reduced NRW. With the system continuously pressurised, illegal taps and background leaks are more visible and can be fixed quickly. Furthermore, with reliable supply and consumer behaviour changes, people are less likely to waste water or store excessive amounts, leading to a direct reduction in NRW.
Nandkishor Jagtap
A key challenge for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and for many Indian cities is the issue of NRW. According to the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation norms, NRW should not exceed 15 per cent. However, in PMC, NRW levels are currently above 35 per cent in most zones. Through systematic interventions, PMC has succeeded in reducing NRW to around 29 per cent in 11 out of 141 zones. Under the Equitable Water Supply Scheme, PMC has developed detailed and systematic plans to reduce NRW. The entire service area has been divided into five sectors comprising 141 zones. Each zone is further subdivided into district metered areas (DMAs) of 1-5 sub-sections, resulting in a total of 368 DMAs across the city. These DMAs are isolated areas within a zone, created by closing boundary valves, which allow water flow and pressure to be continuously monitored through meters.
To further address this challenge, smart metering and monitoring systems are being introduced. Electromagnetic flow meters have been installed at each DMA to ensure accurate flow measurement and pressure monitoring. To enhance accountability at the consumer end, automatic meter reading (AMR) meters are being installed at every property and household. This ensures that every drop of water consumed is accurately measured and billed, thereby minimising losses and unauthorised usage.
PMC is also modernising its water treatment plants (WTPs) with advanced technologies. In this process, wastewater generated from filter beds, clariflocculators and tube settlers is reused, thereby achieving zero liquid discharge (ZLD) at WTPs. PMC operates a total of 17 WTPs at eight different locations, with capacities ranging from 5 mld to 500 mld, and a combined treatment capacity of approximately 1,800 mld. Of these, the Wadgaon WTP (250 mld) and the Parvati WTP (500 mld), with a combined capacity of 750 mld, are designed as ZLD plants, ensuring that no untreated water is released into the environment. For the remaining WTPs, PMC is in the process of developing recycling units to treat and reuse backwash water and clarifier wastewater, further enhancing water-use efficiency and sustainability.
In addition, PMC has piloted the use of robotic camera-based pipeline inspections. This innovative approach has successfully detected leakages, contamination points and illegal connections. Based on these results, PMC now plans to procure robotic inspection systems on a larger scale, given their effectiveness and cost-efficiency compared to conventional methods.
Arun Lakhani
Significant emphasis, and rightly so, is being placed on reducing NRW. However, achieving a meaningful reduction is challenging without the creation of district metered areas and the implementation of 24×7 pressurised water supply systems. Encouragingly, many new projects are being designed with these principles in mind and are leveraging technology such as smart metering, sensors and GIS-based monitoring to systematically tackle NRW.
Rishabh Sethi
India continues to face the challenge of NRW, with some cities historically losing 40-50 per cent of their supply. However, this challenge has now become an opportunity to improve efficiency and reliability, and build citizen trust. Cities like Mysuru and Hubballi-Dharwad have already shown how over 20 per cent NRW reduction is possible through smart interventions.
At JWIL, we are proud to demonstrate measurable results on the ground. In our ongoing Chandrawal Water Supply Project in Delhi, we have adopted a “technology+operations+community model”:
- Technology: Smart meter deployment, SCADA integration, GIS-based leak detection and creation of DMAs.
- Operations: Predictive maintenance and proactive pressure management.
- Community: The Jal Mitra outreach and grievance redressal camps to build trust and encourage citizens to report leaks or illegal connections.
At JWIL, we see NRW not as a loss but as a driver of efficiency and reliability, turning every saved drop into a contribution towards India’s vision of 24×7 sustainable water supply for all.
Anju Sharma
Water accounted for under leakages is being considered as a potential area to be tapped by the state. The aim is to lower NRW by ensuring the right quality and proper operation of water infrastructure. To achieve this, one of the steps is leveraging Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance (WQMS). Nearly 28,600 Panchayati Raj Institution members have been trained on WQMS under JJM. Further, around 14,200 individuals have been skilled in various trades such as plumbing, pump operation, fitting and electrical works, ensuring technical manpower at the village level. Community-led monitoring is also being promoted, with 69,409 women across 17,048 villages trained in water quality testing through field test kits (FTKs). Additionally, 3,615 Nal Jal Mitras are undergoing skilling to further strengthen local water management capacities.
Furthermore, water testing laboratories are being set up and used to test and ensure good quality of the water, which does not get wasted. For this, 58 out of the 72 water testing labs in the state are NABL-accredited/recognised for chemical parameters, while four district-level labs are National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-accredited for bacteriological parameters. The process of NABL accreditation/recognition has been initiated for those labs whose accreditation/recognition has either expired or is going to expire in the coming months. In 2024-25, 305,682 lab tests have been completed against the annual target of 285,272, 130,694 FTK tests have been done against the annual target of 117,025, and 25,919 sanitary surveys have been completed out of the annual target of 28,561.
