Water loss costing Fort Erie millions
Causes include system leaks, billing errors and theft
Fort Erie is losing an average of nearly $1.4-million worth of water that is supplied by the region but for a number of reasons is not making it to the taps of homeowners and businesses.
That is according to a report prepared by Chris Pisaric, manager of the town’s water and wastewater division, brought before town politicians at Monday’s council-in committee meeting. But the report wasn’t passed without concerns being expressed by those around the horseshoe, including Mayor Wayne Redekop, who was concerned the town was also paying for problems that may be occurring in regional infrastructure.
“I have a little difficulty as to why residents should be responsible for water lost in regional water mains,” Redekop said.
The town began auditing water loss in the town’s distribution system back in 2015. Results have remained consistent at about 41 per cent of the approximately 4.8 million cubic metres of water being supplied to the town from the region. According to a staff report, some of the reasons for water loss are leaks in the system, including water main leaks and breaks, theft along with billing and meter errors. While the percentage of the total amount of water being delivered to the town from the region was consistent, the actual loss in terms of cubic metres has fluctuated with the low end being 2016, with 1.79 million cubic metres unaccounted for to a high of 1.98 million in 2015. Water loss in 2018 was 1.96 million cubic metres.
Redekop wondered about how much of that 41 per cent is caused by leaks in regional mains.
“It could be 10 per cent,” he said.
Ward 5 Coun. Don Lubberts, meanwhile, asked for an amendment to the report, asking that the region be requested to verify the calibration of its supply meters. He noted that the last verification took place 14 years ago.
The amendment was approved by councillors.
Next steps staff plan to take to address the situation include:
• With 96 per cent of water accounts upgraded to radio frequency metres, staff anticipates more accurate consumption data;
• Replacement of commercial and institutional meters currently taking place should improve accountability and improve revenue;
• Laboratory testing of decommissioned water meters to establish degradation curves that will aid in the estimation of NRW in remaining meters and establishing life-cycle replacement for new meters;
• Leak detection efforts will focus on the town’s east end over the next couple of years. Staff anticipates finding more leaks due to the higher concentration of older water mains;
• Water main replacements as approved through yearly capital budgets;
• Working with the fire department to track water use more accurately;
• Tracking new construction water use;
• Zone metering to determine NRW in a particular area as identified in the town’s water master plan, which has outlined a strategy for zoned metering;
• Continuation of annual water audits and infrastructure leakage index exercises;
• Raising staff awareness so that billing errors and water used in field exercises is more accurately estimated, and
• Increased and proactive system maintenance such as valve exercising and hydrant flushing.
Council wound up approving the report as amended.