São Paulo state water utility Sabesp has started to implement its 10-year program to monitor and control water losses, budgeted at over 3bn reais (US$1.37bn) [...] in partnership with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The technical cooperation agreement involves an exchange of experience and technology between Japanese specialists and Sabesp technicians.
[...] The program has four stages. National development bank BNDES will finance 700mn reais for the first stage which runs from 2009-11. [...] It will take at least 15 years to cut water loss volume in half, according to JICA engineer Masahiro Shimomura.
Japan’s 7% water loss rate is one of the lowest in the world, according to Shimomura, who said that it took 50 years to achieve this and an almost incalculable investment, “much more than billions of dollars.”
[...] In São Paulo state, the city of Jales is currently the best performer with an 8% water loss [while] Sabesp’s water losses are at 27.7% [and] the national average is 40%. [Sabesp] expects to reduce [losses] to 13% by the end of the program.
In 2007, Sabesp and JICA signed a US$2.4mn agreement to prepare for the implementation of the project. JICA donated US$1.5mn for equipment and materials, while Sabesp invested US$900,000 to train its technicians in Japanese technology and work practices.
Source: Daniel Bland, BNamericas [subscription site], 15 Apr 2009
