Climate-Smart Utility Case Story
Musoma Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (MUWASA) is an autonomous entity responsible for managing water supply and sanitation services in Musoma Municipality, a mid-sized city located on the shores of Lake Victoria in Western Tanzania. As a utility, they are challenged with high levels of Non-Revenue Water which in turn presents them with both financial and environmental challenges.
MUWASA believes that utilities are essential components of the carbon footprint landscape and every unit of water distributed by a utility carries a certain level of carbon emissions due to energy consumption in water extraction, treatment, pumping, and distribution. Thus, reduction of NRW directly impacts the carbon footprint by lowering the amount of water lost and, consequently, the associated emissions.
Through the Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Reduction Project implemented by the utility in selected DMAs, MUWASA has been able to reduce NRW by 40% which initially was staggering at 70%. This story is about the vital connection between reducing non-revenue water (NRW) and mitigating carbon emissions, focusing on a reference case study in Musoma, Tanzania. It highlights how the Leakage Emissions Initiative (LEI) by the International Water Association (IWA) encourages utilities to aggressively reduce water losses, creating a protocol to generate carbon credits that can be transacted in the open market.
Musoma Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (MUWASA) serves as a practical example, showcasing the environmental, social and financial benefits of NRW reduction. The NRW in the selected DMAs was initially at a staggering 70%, which was reduced to 40% through series of innovative solutions and activities provided by CityTaps some of which includes Active leak detection, Leak detection by satellite image analysis, Smart meters, Pressure management, Automatic monitoring of the NRW indicators, etc. This has also resulted in a decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 26 metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year.
The story emphasises the importance of supporting water utilities in developing countries to align with international sustainability goals, such as the Paris Accords. Having seen the success of NRW reduction in the selected DMAs, MUWASA plans to extend the program to cover the entire water distribution network. This expansion will further contribute to reducing carbon emissions and aligning with international sustainability goals.
Feeling inspired by this story? We know there are many other Climate Smart Stories worth celebrating. If you are interested in submitting your utility story contact Brenda Ampomah.
