The City of Lacombe has completed a water loss audit for 2023.
The audit was the third conducted by the city to help track and limit losses in the water system, and it was the third year in a row with a reduction in overall water loss, according to a release.
The water audit provides information on the nature of water losses, allowing the city to prioritize action planning and develop a strategic approach to reduce the losses to the national average (13.3 per cent).
The city’s 2023 water loss percentage was 13.9 per cent, below the 2022 number of 16.2 per cent and 16.7 per cent in 2021. Lacombe residents consumed, on average, 150 litres per person per day, 45 litres less per day than the average Albertan.
“Council is pleased to see the ongoing positive results of the city’s water audit,” Mayor Grant Creasey said.
“We know that residents want a reliable water system. We have now seen three years of positive reductions in water loss, which ultimately means a more efficient and cost-effective service for our residents.”
Contributions to water loss reductions in 2023 include:
• re-calibration of the City’s pumphouse meters
• maintenance of pressure-sustaining valves
• lowering the average system pressure setpoint
• less significant water pipe breaks, including repairing two leaks going directly into the wastewater main
• installing a seasonal water meter at the City’s RV sanitary-dump site
Many of these contributing factors stem from the city implementing a prioritized Water Loss Reduction Action Plan. The most critical aspect of the plan is ensuring that the meters measuring water going into and out of the city’s pumphouses are accurate.
Even relatively small errors or inaccuracies in those meters can significantly impact water audit results.
Additionally, new water meters have no moving parts, making them less susceptible to failure and having better accuracy in low-flow settings. The audit complies with the American Water Works Association guidelines, and the city continues to work on improvements identified in the 2022 Water Loss Control Gap Assessment.
