The mission of the Efficient Urban Water Management Specialist Group is to encourage the interchange of knowledge, research, best practices and programs regarding efficient management and use of water in urban zones. A specific area of interest is exploring and promoting new technological solutions for urban drinking water supply and wastewater sanitation systems. Topics like end use efficiency; customer demand management, level of service, network asset management, water losses management, performance assessment, environment impacts, economics, social preferences and involvement, water resource planning, and program design are all integrated under the Efficient SG umbrella.

Devoted to promoting practical solutions for utilities, the SG also seeks to involve broad stakeholder interests and knowledge. The main forum for the SG is the biennial Efficient Conference, which has been successfully held every two years since 2001.

Among that, three strategic initiatives are under way:

• Strategic assessment of international water efficiency actions. Initially, this will be limited to urban water management and domestic/ non-domestic water efficiency or conservation programmes.
• Sources and scale of background leakage, and plumbing losses. This is a joint initiative with the Water Loss SG, and will examine the extent of building and household leakage.
• Water Use Efficiency in Energy and Agriculture. This initiative will examine the role of water efficiency in the water-energy-food nexus and determine the research and needed policy actions.