Non-Revenue Water reduction training,
designed in collaboration with Allan Lambert
A series of NRW reduction courses split into Basic, Intermediate and Advanced curricula — online, self-paced, interactive, and designed to build real expertise.
The Basics of Non-Revenue Water Curriculum establishes the foundation concepts of Non-Revenue Water Reduction.
Suitable for anyone new to the subject of Non-Revenue Water, or anyone who knows a little about the subject but wants to strengthen the foundations of their understanding.
Water Balance Essentials
- Understand how the basic principles of the IWA Water Balance evolved
- Understand how the IWA Water Balance was adopted and adapted internationally
- Name the components of the Enhanced IWA Water Balance
- Describe the elements of each component of the Enhanced IWA Water Balance
- Recognise the technical and business challenges in producing a reliable Water Balance
- Understand which components in a Water Balance are bulk metered, calculated or estimated
- Calculate a simple Water Balance using a table format
- Understand the effects on a Water Balance when Real Losses, Apparent Losses, Unbilled Authorised Consumption and Water Exported components are reduced
Assessing Non-Revenue Water Components
- Describe the three Phases of Assess, Identify and Prioritise which can be used to understand uncertainty in a Water Balance calculation
- Recognise the components in a Water Balance which are likely to cause the most uncertainty
- Perform uncertainty calculations from Bulk Metering to NRW for an example High Income Utility with good data and a Middle/Low Income Utility with poor data
- Describe the components of Unbilled Authorised Consumption and Apparent Losses
- Perform uncertainty calculations from NRW to Real Losses for an example High Income Utility with good data and a Middle/Low Income Utility with poor data
- Understand how performing uncertainty calculations can be used to prioritise interventions
The Law of Unintended Consequences
- Understand the conservation benefits, Water Utility benefits and Customer benefits associated with Pressure Management
- Understand how Active Leakage Control repair efficiency can be improved by combining with Pressure Management
- Using worked examples, recognise how run time influences the annual volume of real losses across mains and services
- Understand how Component Analysis can show where most real losses occur
- Recognise the range of KPIs which are appropriate for use for target setting and performance tracking for an individual system as well as those appropriate for technical performance comparisons
- Understand why using Leakage as a % of System Input Volume is a Zero-Sum performance indicator which is not fit for purpose
Intermediate Concepts of Non-Revenue Water Reduction builds on the Basics series, deepening knowledge of Component Analysis, Pressure:Leak Flow Rate, and Pressure:Bursts relationships.
Suitable as a next step after the Basics curriculum, or for anyone already working in NRW reduction who wants to broaden their theoretical and practical expertise.
Component Analysis of UAC, Apparent Losses, Annual Real Losses and Night Flows
- Learn how Component Analysis can be used to provide further insights to a Water Balance or Night Flow Analysis
- Learn about the different components of Unbilled Authorized Consumption and how to estimate them
- Describe the different components of Apparent Losses and how to estimate them
- Understand the characteristics of Unavoidable Background Leakage, Reported and Unreported Bursts, and Unavoidable Annual Real Losses, and how to calculate them
- Recognise the components of Minimum Night Flows, how to calculate MNFs, and how to use MNF calculations to decide when to intervene to look for unreported bursts
Influences of Pressure on Leak:Flow Rates — Theory and Practitioner Guide
Currently in development. Pricing and language options will be announced closer to release.
Influences of Pressure on Burst Frequencies, Infrastructure Life and Consumption
Currently in development. Pricing and language options will be announced closer to release.
Advanced Concepts of Non-Revenue Water Reduction — course details and release dates to be announced in Q2 2027.
Three courses, details to follow
The Advanced curriculum will build on the Basic and Intermediate series. Check back in Winter 2026 for course titles, learning outcomes, and pricing.
“The course was highly informative and well-structured, providing a clear and comprehensive understanding of water conservation. The content is practical and designed for easy future reference… its greatest advantage is its flexibility — it can be completed at one’s own pace, making it highly convenient for busy professionals.”
“This certification has deepened my understanding of the critical elements that contribute to water loss in distribution systems… From real losses to apparent losses, the course provided valuable insights and practical tools to help utilities improve efficiency and reduce NRW — an excellent course with clear structure, practical exercises and valuable information.”
Contact us for a demo and quote
If you are a member of the IWA or AWWA, you are eligible for a 10% discount on all training courses.