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Issues in Implementation of EU Regulations in Terms of Evaluation of Water Losses: Towards Energy Efficiency Optimization in Water Supply Systems

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  • Agnieszka Ociepa-Kubicka

    (Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology, Armii Krajowej 19 B, 42-218 Częstochowa, Poland)

  • Iwona Deska

    (Department of Sanitary Networks and Installations, Faculty of Infrastructure and Environment, Czestochowa University of Technology, Brzeźnicka 60 A, 42-215 Częstochowa, Poland)

  • Ewa Ociepa

    (Independent Researcher, 42-215 Częstochowa, Poland)

Abstract

The water and sewage sector is responsible for approximately 3.5% of energy consumption in the European Union (EU). Leaks causing water losses in water distribution systems (WDSs) are responsible for approximately 24% of water consumption in the EU, which contributes to additional energy losses and emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The implementation of the Directive of the European Parliament and the EU Council on the quality of drinking water (Directive (EU) 2020/2184) introduces the obligation to report water losses by large water utilities in EU Member States. The reported indicator will be the infrastructure leakage index (ILI) which is the ratio between current annual real loss (CARL) and unavoidable annual real loss (UARL). The paper presents a comparative analysis of selected water loss performance indicators calculated for 12 Polish WDSs. Results show that values of calculated indicators were diverse. The overestimation of both the reported value of operating pressure and total length of service connections may lead to the overestimation of UARL and thus to the underestimation of ILI. Obtaining a satisfactory, but incorrect, value of ILI may result in the abandonment of activities aimed at water loss reduction. Water losses in water distribution systems (WDSs) contribute to a significant increase in both energy consumption and GHG emissions. Total approximated electrical energy related to CARL consumed in 2021 by eleven utilities (except for one company) amounted to 3.276 GWh and total approximated carbon emissions amounted to 2807.84 MgCO 2 eq. In the case of four WDSs, reduction of ILI to the value of 1.5 may reduce GHG emissions by 31–54%. It can be concluded that the implementation of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 will require unification of methodology for calculation of parameters used in ILI evaluation in all EU Member States.

Suggested Citation

  • Agnieszka Ociepa-Kubicka & Iwona Deska & Ewa Ociepa, 2024. "Issues in Implementation of EU Regulations in Terms of Evaluation of Water Losses: Towards Energy Efficiency Optimization in Water Supply Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-22, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:3:p:633-:d:1328325
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yuan Tian & Jingliang Gao & Jianxun Chen & Junshen Xie & Qidong Que & Rodger Millar Munthali & Tiantian Zhang, 2023. "Optimization of Pressure Management in Water Distribution Systems Based on Pressure-Reducing Valve Control: Evaluation and Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-21, July.
    2. Dariusz Andraka & Wojciech Kruszyński & Jacek Tyniec & Joanna Gwoździej-Mazur & Bartosz Kaźmierczak, 2023. "Practical Aspects of the Energy Efficiency Evaluation of a Water Distribution Network Using Hydrodynamic Modeling—A Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-17, April.
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