Nonrevenue water will remain a neglected issue without serious government and development partner support and targeted project actions. The project’s high target levels for NRW, at 70%, reflected a low priority given by both government and ADB. There were no specific actions outlined in the project design to achieve reductions in NRW. Metering should have improved the ability to monitor and control losses. Although impressive results in metering were achieved, the priority appears to have been to improve collection efficiency rather than seriously address NRW. Even for the demonstration village of Malishka, which performed well (achieving 100% water supply coverage and metering, 24-hour water supply, and 100% collection efficiency), no NRW results were presented in the PCR. While the PCR highlighted success in addressing NRW, there was no commensurate discussion on reasons for these achievements or indications as to what worked well and what did not. By the same token, the high key performance indicator target set in the national lease, at circa 80%, also reflects that the government gives this low priority.
Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project