At the European level, according to EurEau public data, out of four glasses of clean water extracted and produced, one is lost en route to the final consumer and never reaches the tap. This affects not only utility companies’ investments, but also water bills, the costs of damages are inevitably passed on to end customers, consumers.

Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark are among the best countries with minimal water loss and, implicitly, minimal energy consumption and CO2 emissions. However, there are also countries such as Bulgaria, Italy and Romania where the percentage of unmetered and unbilled water is around 40%.

Unmetered water wastes not only water resources, but also the energy used to produce and distribute water.

The water sector is responsible for 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, and the total losses in one year could cover the average consumption of the population of Austria and Germany combined.

“Year after year, the unaccounted water loss of a European aircraft amounts to the amount of CO2 produced by more than 664,000 flights from Paris to New York. It is important to take this information into account because only by fixing leaks, ruptures or properly managing water pressure can we directly contribute to Romania’s actions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” explains Kenny Hu, Eastern Europe Managing Director of South Xylem, a company. which also has a platform that uses independent data provided by the European Environment Agency and the European Commission.

The calculator determines the impact of water loss, as well as energy loss and associated CO2 emissions, while simulating the savings that can result from implementing new water management technologies such as smart water meters, digital platforms, pipeline assessments and energy-efficient pumps , to prevent excessive pressure that can increase the risk of pipe bursts.

“Today, we have affordable solutions to start the transition to zero emissions and lower operating costs. A net zero emission future should be a priority for all industries, but especially for industries that pollute the environment. Unfortunately, the water industry in Romania still has a long way to go to achieve the transition to net zero emissions,” concludes Kenny Hu.