Despite Algeria’s national policy to combat leakage and excessive use of water, the country is still suffering from a huge waste of drinking water. L’Algérienne des Eaux (AdE), the public provider for water in Algeria, estimates water losses between production and billing to be 44% on average. Illicit tapping and leaks in the distribution network, including leaks in the connections are common.

WES will assist Algeria in carrying out a diagnosis of the performance of non-revenue water in a pilot area within the AdE zone of Tizi Ouzou. The support is aiming to strengthen the capacity of the public water service AdE in order to reduce water losses.

A team of international and national experts will assess the current situation of the water network in the region of Tizi Ouzou and analyze the data available. It will assess apparent and physical losses and introduce a water balance procedure.  The team will also provide recommendations for the implementation of internationally recognized best practices to combat water losses.

The team, led by Rambøll Danmark expert Matthew Bullock and guided by WES Water expert Suzan Taha, will build the capacity of public service personnel through on-the-job training and direct participation in the implementation of tasks with the support of the international and national experts. The activities will be implemented between now and the end of 2020.