Non-Revenue Water
Every cubic metre of water lost through leaks, theft, inaccurate billing, or metering errors represents not only wasted water but also lost revenue that could otherwise be reinvested in expanding services and improving infrastructure. The cheapest litre of water is often the one that is already being produced but never reaches a paying customer. with NRW levels exceeding 40 or even 50 percent have successfully reduced losses through disciplined implementation of proven strategies.
MARKETING AFRICA
Non-Revenue Water
Robert Wafula
Kenya ' s Non-Revenue Water Market: A Growing Opportunity For Water Technology Companies
Water challenges rarely respect borders. Scarcity, flooding, and non-revenue water( NRW) are not isolated national problems, they are shared struggles playing out across cities and utilities worldwide, each straining infrastructure built for a different era.
Kenya ' s water services sector recently took stock of its own share of this challenge. The Impact 18 Report, covering the 2024 / 2025 performance of the country ' s water services sector, was officially launched by the Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation, Eng. Eric Mugaa.
Among its findings: non-revenue water rose from 44 % to 48 %, a signal that, despite ongoing investment, utilities are losing an even greater share of the water they produce. The report ' s launch was followed by a dedicated Non-Revenue Water Conference in Naivasha, bringing together utilities, policymakers, innovators, and other stakeholders to confront the problem collectively.
The conversations are familiar: aging infrastructure, illegal connections, inaccurate metering, limited data, financing constraints, and increasing pressure on water resources. This year ' s Non-Revenue Water Conference in Naivasha was no different in identifying these challenges. What made it different, however, was the growing consensus that Kenya already possesses the knowledge and technologies needed to significantly reduce NRW. The question is no longer what needs to be done; it is whether utilities will move decisively from discussion to implementation.
Kenya is a ripe market for NRW interventions
With national NRW levels remaining significantly above international best practice, utilities across the country have an enormous opportunity to improve operational efficiency, financial sustainability, and customer service. Every cubic metre of water lost through leaks, theft, inaccurate billing, or metering errors represents not only wasted water but also lost revenue that could otherwise be reinvested in expanding services and improving infrastructure.
Reducing NRW is therefore not simply a technical exercise. It is one of the fastest ways utilities can improve their financial health while increasing water availability without constructing new dams, drilling additional boreholes, or developing costly new supply systems. The cheapest litre of water is often the one that is already being produced but never reaches a paying customer.
Kenya Does Not Need to Reinvent the Wheel
One of the strongest messages emerging from the conference is that Kenya is not facing a unique problem. Countries across Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and parts of Africa have confronted similar challenges over the past several decades. Many utilities that once struggled
Every cubic metre of water lost through leaks, theft, inaccurate billing, or metering errors represents not only wasted water but also lost revenue that could otherwise be reinvested in expanding services and improving infrastructure. The cheapest litre of water is often the one that is already being produced but never reaches a paying customer. with NRW levels exceeding 40 or even 50 percent have successfully reduced losses through disciplined implementation of proven strategies.
The solutions are no longer experimental. District Metered Areas( DMAs), hydraulic modelling, pressure management, active leakage control, GIS-based asset management, smart metering, SCADA systems, digital customer databases, predictive analytics, and continuous monitoring have all demonstrated measurable results in utilities around the world.
Kenya therefore has an opportunity to accelerate progress by adapting proven global practices rather than attempting to develop entirely new approaches. Success will come from learning, contextualizing, and implementing- not reinventing.
Technology Is No Longer Optional
The future of NRW management is increasingly digital. Geographic Information Systems( GIS) provide utilities with accurate mapping of assets, enabling better maintenance planning and faster response to bursts and failures. Hydraulic modelling allows engineers to simulate network behavior before investing in costly infrastructure upgrades. Smart metering improves billing accuracy while helping detect abnormal consumption patterns that may indicate leaks or unauthorized connections.
Digital technologies also enable utilities to move from reactive maintenance to proactive asset management. Instead of waiting for catastrophic pipe failures, utilities can identify vulnerable sections of their networks, prioritize repairs, and optimize investments using data rather than assumptions.
This shift is particularly important as climate variability increases pressure on already constrained water resources. Every litre saved through better network management contributes directly to water security. The technology exists. The expertise exists.
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