BANDUNG, Indonesia – A pilot water system loss reduction project of Manila Water Asia Pacific (MWAP) in Bandung, the capital of Indonesia’s West Java province, is making headway as it gains local media attention and community support, particularly from Bandung City Mayor Ridwan Kamil.

The demo project is a partnership between MWAP and Perusahaan Daerah Air Minum (PDAM) Tirtawening Kota Bandung, the regional water utility company owned by the Bandung City government. MWAP aims to share knowledge and expertise in an effort to reduce the level of water leakage in Bandung.

The pilot non-revenue water (NRW) reduction project involves feasibility studies and formation of district metering areas (DMA) to tackle water leakage. An area within RW 9, Kelurahan Gumuruh, Kecamatan Batununggal, has been selected for the pilot and creation of a DMA. The pilot DMA has approximately 360 households and an initial NRW of 49 percent.

Learning from the success of Manila Water in reducing its NRW from 63 to 11 percent in the East Zone, the company will apply two strategies to address system losses – the implementation of appropriate technical solutions, as well as public education to encourage the community to participate in reporting leaks.

In November 2015, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by MWAP President Virgilio C. Rivera, Jr. and Bandung City Mayor Ridwan Kamil. The execution of the MOU is in line with Manila Water’s strategic objective to pursue expansion projects and investments outside of the East Zone concession area. The Bandung demo project may pave the way for the implementation of other projects for the development of water services in the city in accordance with Indonesian laws and regulations.