Idrica and Xylem Provide Engineering Service to Detect Water Leaks in Qatar’s Distribution Networks
Leaks are responsible for the loss of thousands of litres of water per year in Qatar. In this country, this situation has negative consequences for the economy and increases water losses. Qatar’s main environmental problems include limited natural freshwater resources resulting in a growing reliance on large-scale desalination facilities.
Sixty-one percent of Qatar’s available water comes from desalination. The remaining 39% is split between groundwater (25%) and reused water (14%). The capital city, Doha, has considerable volumes of water leaks from pipes and other sources, estimated at around 15 million m3 /year. It is important to detect water leakage as early as possible, as doing so can represent considerable savings in terms of water conservation.
In terms of water distribution, Qatar has carried out numerous initiatives to reduce losses. Idrica Qatar (Aguas de Valencia International) provided a water leak detection service in Qatar’s distribution networks, with the help of new acoustic instrumentation (SmartBall) supplied by Xylem.
This is a major breakthrough and a very good opportunity for the future for electricity and especially water utilities in Qatar, which collect and distribute water from DWTP and desalination plants.
This project aimed to consolidate Qatar’s water security. Thus, it was key to implement a pipeline inspection service and to draw up comprehensive reports on the number of kilometres inspected and the leaks detected in Qatar.
The partnership between Idrica and Xylem is helping many utilities in different parts of the world to face the new water challengesand water crises resulting from climate change, thanks to these companies’ know-how and experience in the water sector.