A NEW hi-tech digital water-leakage detection system in Bahrain will help pinpoint exact locations where repair work needs to be immediately carried out.
The equipment should avoid the time-consuming and expensive requirement to dig up large areas before crews set about the task of tackling the job.
Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) revealed at the Capital Trustees Board meeting that a water distribution network had been divided into electronic areas.
Through ‘accurate’ technological advances using a specialised ‘Netbase’ smart programme, leakages could now be precisely uncovered and fixed.
“We have introduced new technologies to safeguard water resources and reduce leaks in our distribution network,” said EWA water distribution director Rasha Kameshki.
“Water distribution networks have been divided into 180 electronic areas that are being monitored using a smart programme, which enables us to react precisely at the location whenever there is a leakage, and fix it.”
The authority can also become aware of problems by studying pressure and water flow in its systems and tackle issues before they become major problems.
Smart water meters will also allow for an exact measurement of actual water used by people, rather than an estimate.
“Smart meter installation reached 98.12pc and the target is 100pc by the end of the year,” added Ms Kameshki.
A presentation by EWA engineer Jaber Al Asheeri highlighted 180 distribution metered areas, divided into 53 in the Southern Governorate, 46 in the Capital Governorate, 43 in the Northern Governorate and 35 in the Muharraq Governorate.
Also showcased were the 43 main water tanks across Bahrain.
On-field comprehensive checks on the water network were 91 last year compared to 42 in 2021.
It has also been revealed that 79 out of 92 checks planned to take place this year had so far been completed.
“We have carried out maintenance on 35 main meters to avoid any disruption to the network,” said Ms Kameshki.
Several planned water network projects for the Capital Governorate for this year and the next were unveiled during the meeting.
Current Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister and former Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Wael Al Mubarak told MPs that strategic water reserves in Bahrain, fit for human consumption, amounted to 659 million gallons.
He added that, according to the latest recorded statistics, the average daily consumption of water was 249 litres per person.
The minister added that water storage capacity is set to increase from 635m gallons to 858m gallons in 2024.
Former minister Essam Khalaf told councillors earlier that rules had also been updated for construction of new mosques and worship places to make them more environment-friendly.
He said earlier this year that to get a design approved, it should incorporate recycling equipment and storage tanks.
Mr Khalaf said small-scale pilot schemes to recycle wudu water in an internal network are under implementation in two mosques – Safiya Kanoo Mosque in Tubli and Ali Kanoo Mosque in Hidd
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