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sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : Water Loss Management in Keetmanshoop, Namibia

Auteur : Löppönen, Arto

Université de soutenance : Tampere University of Technology

Grade : Master’s Degree Programme in Environmental Engineering 2011

Résumé
Deteriorating water distribution networks are commonly causing trouble for water utilities worldwide. PLDDSI (Partnership for Local Democracy, Development and Social Innovation) is a Finnish-Namibian cooperation project which provides engineering assistance for addressing those problems in Namibian municipalities. In Keetmanshoop, which is one of the counterpart municipalities, more than one third of all water entering the network is counted as non-revenue water. One of the targets of the project in Keetmanshoop is reducing non-revenue water to financially sustainable level. The main objective of this study was to analyze the major problems in the municipality of Keetmanshoop and give suggestions how to deal with them. Based on the suggestions, a development strategy was built up for reducing non-revenue water. Literature survey was used to explain tools that are internationally used for non-revenue water reduction and to introduce how they could be applied in Keetmanshoop. Analysis in Keetmanshoop was done mainly by interviewing staff at the municipality and making observations and measurements in the field. The water network was also analyzed with computer simulations. In addition, a number of other municipalities and their water departments were analyzed as a comparison. The additional municipalities referred to were Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Lüderitz and Ondangwa in Namibia and the PLDSSI counterparts Kangasala and Lempäälä in Finland. It seems that all of the reviewed municipalities have acknowledged the importance of systematic plan for non revenue water reduction but the methods how this problem is tackled differ a lot. Only the Finnish municipalities and Lüderitz have a clear long-term plan to renovate their water networks. This research showed that the financial losses caused by non-revenue water in Keetmanshoop are alarming. The percentage of lost water has been on increase for at least past five years and it is not probable that the situation will improve without changes in the management methods. Water is presently lost due to a number of factors but the most significant ones are leaking pipe network and apparent losses due to illegal consumption and non-functioning water meters. With the knowledge gained during the research period, a programme was introduced to show the importance of non-revenue water reduction. Since there are still a lot of vital data missing, some financial calculations are based on estimates. However, as the programme suggested, in the beginning additional data will be collected to verify assumptions and justify needed actions. Likewise with many investments in the business world, the profits will come with a delay. The first few years of the programme will be unprofitable but more and more savings will be achieved in the future

Mots clés : non-revenue water, water distribution network, development, Keetmanshoop, Namibia

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