AMP8: Leakage Reduction
Meeting Ofwat’s AMP8 water leakage reduction target with AVK UK Smart Water and Pressure Management 14-03-2025
Continuing our series of articles around AMP8.
Ofwat published its final AMP8 determinations in December, when we provided a summary of the £104bn spending plan for water companies over the next five years. Following our summary of the announcement (which can be found here), we will examine some of the plan’s specific targets in a series of articles over the coming weeks (for the latest updates from Ofwat visit www.ofwat.gov.uk). In the first, we will look at network leakage reduction and how water companies can meet their ambitious obligations.
Leakage has been a long-standing challenge for the water industry, with calls to reduce and manage non-revenue water (NRW) dating back to privatisation and beyond. In 2018, the goal was set to halve leakage by 2050, which in 2017-18 was already 38% lower than the peak of 1994-95.
Five years ago, leakage was around 3bn litres per day, and this has since dropped to just under 2.7bn litres – the lowest level reported over two decades, according to the Environment Agency, and around 10% of the way towards the 2050 target of a 50% reduction.
In a step further towards that long-term goal, Ofwat is challenging water companies to cut leakage rates by another 17% before the end of the decade, under the recently published AMP8 determinations. This would bring leakage rates down to around 2.2bn litres per day – halfway to meeting the 2050 target.
Currently, the UK’s average water use per capita is almost 233 litres, with 46 litres (20%) lost to leakage. Against the backdrop of expanding the water supply by an extra 424m litres per day by 2030, continuing to reduce leakage rates will be a huge challenge for the industry.
Funding allocated to tackling water leakage
AMP8 sees water companies given the greenlight to borrow and spend a record £104bn to improve and expand water and wastewater infrastructure in England and Wales over the next 5 years, but only £720m has been earmarked for leakage reduction. There may be some overlap with other elements of Ofwat’s determinations, such as the replacement of 8,000km of water mains, but with a network of around 300,000km of buried pipes this represents just 2.6%.
So how does Ofwat see water companies continue to reduce leakage? “Using smart technologies and better data”. There is a specific focus on “expanding metering”, but digitising the network goes beyond, with a smart network able to provide live data from a wide range of assets, including valves and gates. With flow, pressure, and other performance indicators constantly monitored, water companies can be alerted to and pinpoint issues as they arise. This leads to faster, more efficient repairs and, ultimately, a reduction in water loss.
AVK UK Pressure Management and Smart Water solutions
At AVK UK, we are working closely with customers to trial and install Smart Water digital assets and Pressure Management solutions across the network. This includes our leading range of pressure reducing/sustaining control valves, needle valves, and air valves, all of which can be installed with condition monitoring and functional alarms. These can be customised to suit operational requirements, sounding the alarm when issues arise and allowing more effective management of maintenance priorities.
We also supply our state-of-the-art VIDI sensors for AVK core products such as gate valves, fittings, and hydrants – which can be used to detect pressure theft/unauthorised use in addition to their other data gathering functions. These include:
- VIDI Positioner for valves and hydrants
- VIDI Open/Close
- VIDI Flow, VIDI Pressure and VIDI Temperature
- VIDI Level
The sensors send data to VIDI Cloud, a software platform developed and provided by AVK Smart Water. Through an API, data can also be sent to water companies’ preferred IT systems, for easier analysis and comparison, ensuring a comprehensive overview of the distribution network. We also offer AVK Assist, a smartphone app that helps improve asset specification, mapping, and management. Built for water network engineers, the app assists with finding and selecting the right valve for the job, records installation quality and notes the GPS location.
To learn more about AVK UK Smart Water Digital Monitoring solutions here.
Anthony Whittam, AVK UK’s Head of Smart Water and Pressure Management, said:
“Ofwat’s 17% leakage reduction target set out in their AMP8 determinations is highly ambitious and the only way for water companies to meet their obligations is by upgrading and digitising the network.
“Through a Smart network, companies can receive timely alerts when issues arise, pinpoint the cause, and dispatch a repair team to diagnose and fix the issue quicker and more efficiently than before. This will help reduce water loss but also increase workflow efficiency and provide additional protection for other assets on the network, by maintaining a set pressure and flow, no matter demand.
“At AVK UK, we provide free training opportunities on all our products, so customers can learn how our pressure management and Smart Water products can benefit their networks. These sessions can be tailored to meet the needs of the audience, whether for individuals or groups, and can take place online via Teams, at customers’ premises or at our manufacturing facilities. Our Mobile Roadshow is also available to visit customers anywhere in the UK, bringing product demonstrations, installation training, and an opportunity to ask our specialists any questions.”
Contact Anthony Whittam, Head of Smart Water and Pressure Management at AVK UK, to book a training opportunity for your team. Simply click on the email icon to write to him directly or call him on the number given above.
