Municipal water demand and efficiency analysis: Case studies in Turkey

Abstract

The growing demand for municipal water due to population increase and urbanization impels water managers to reconsider the existing traditional supply-sided management approach. Strengthening of water demand management (WDM) policies by improving water use efficiency has been adopted as a key target in arid regions, in particular. Indeed, increasing the added value per m 3 of water used is gaining importance, since it is a more environmentally-friendly strategy with regard to water resource management than expanding water infrastructure assets. Monitoring the water use efficiency index is the commonly applied method for assessing the performance of municipal water management that depends on physical (real) losses and non-physical (apparent) losses constituting non-revenue water (NRW).