Results

Improvement of the environmental performance resulting from the innovative measure

Active Failure Detection and Dynamic Pressure Regulation in the exploited water supply  network allowed PWiK to achieve a number of results listed below. A thorough examination of the dependencies between the variable parameter of pressure to flow ratio and pipe failure ratio will allow for designing similar systems in the future. The current results  in terms of technological and economic effects are encouraging to allocate  more  investment resources (financial) for this type of activities.  This applies primarily to ‘difficult’ water supply  systems, e.g. ones bearing significant hydraulic losses, where  the typical  pressure reduction based on PRV valves cannot give sufficient results. As regards Active Leak Detection, the success of this approach is underlined by the fact that the average leak duration before   becoming visible at the surface  is approximately 100 days. In 2013 alone, as a result of the project, over908 kmof the water pipes  were inspected and 543 leaks were detected. Out of these, 101 were leakages invisible at the surface , which are also the most valuable in terms of shortening the failure duration time. Using the aforementioned tools, PWiK  can successfully reduce this time, thus reducing the water  losses, and achieving  economically  and environmentally justified levels of leakages for any given zones of the water supply  network. 

The execution of this project is a combined activity  aimed at a research work to  achieve significant results in the study  area in a short time. . It's economic significance is expected to bring multi-tiered benefits related to effective  pressure management in the water supply  network, as listed below:

• decreasing water losses as a result of  faster detection of networks failures and small leaks to the ground due to  reduced minimum night flows,
  • initiating the system in the  zone ’Poudnie’ resulted in reduced  minimum night flows by 15 m³/h. It is expected that implementing the project in the remaining eligible areas will bring savings of over 400,000 m³ of water per annum (in 2013, this was the average amount of water supplied to the network by PWiK in 10 days),
  • reducing the volume of water extracted by waterworks  (avoiding  overexploitation of groundwater resources)
• reducing the consumption of electricity effected by decreased groundwater exctraction (pumping)(i.e. lower consumption of non-renewable energy sources, and lower emissions of CO₂ into the atmosphere),
• reducing the operational costs  of the water supply  network and increasing its durability,
• adjusting the pressure in the  network to match the current demands, thus eliminating any unnecessary pressure surpluses at night and at times of low water distribution (consumption),
• reducing network’s failure rate by 25%, which relates to:
  • reducing  repair costs,
  • reducing active leak control costs for the tested area,
  • reducing the number of local road traffic inconveniences resulting from the occurrence and removal of failures (lower fuel consumption),
• creating reference materials on the regional operational conditions for predicting  the reasonability of investments in similar water supply systems,

Each of the above effects brings specific financial profits.

The execution of the project has also been reflected in the Environmental Statements, in the section on Key Environmental Performance Indicators – the indicator “WATER CONSUMPTION” (see the Environmental Statement, p. 42). Presented below is this indicator calculated for 2013.

The indicator will be validated during this year’s audit scheduled to take place in May. The significant reduction of this indicator is not dependent not only on the eco-innovation in question. PWiK is also conducting several other commonly acknowledged actions, e.g. water pipes  rerouting (exchange), minimizing apparent water losses. Within 2011-2013 PWiK spent  PLN 15 millions  for water pipes  rerouting alone.

Below data are presented  on water losses: chart 3 – as a percentage of water extracted , and chart 4 – as the amount of water lost per 1 kmof the exploited water pipe  network. Both charts also provide the average values for large waterworks companies, as published by the Polish Waterworks Chamber of Commerce. The data (apart from data for 2013) are  also included in the current edition of the Environmental Statement, at p. 27.

In light of the fact that the level of leaks is a consequence of the pressure maintained in the network, and not the water distribution (consumption), the Company is of the opinion that the more relevant indicator is the water losses calculated as cubic meters per one kilometer of the exploited network. , rather than as the percentage of water extracted (pumped). This is of particular importance if, as is the case, the water sales are going down  year over year. A result of this is the continuous, systematic decrease of water losses in absolute terms, as well as  the values presented in the tables (pp. 41-42) presenting the main environmental performance indicator – water consumption.

Chart 3.  Water losses in water supply network operated by PWiK in 2006-2013 (as % of extracted water) compared to the average values for large waterworks in Poland

Chart 4. Water losses in water supply network operated by PWiK in 2006-2013 (per 1 km of the exploited water pipe network) compared to the average values for large waterworks in Poland