Water Audits Got a Little Easier in 2006

This article discusses the water audit software released in 2006 developed by the AWWA Water Loss Control Committee (WLCC). The WLCC's Water Audit Software v2.0 operates as a spreadsheet designed in Microsoft Excel format and provides an effective, standard structure to perform a water audit and develop the water balance. This new methodology guides the user utility in quantifying apparent and real loss volumes and in assigning cost impacts to these losses. It calculates a number of new performance indicators that allow for reliable benchmarking with other water utilities and target‐setting to strategically reduce excessive losses. The AWWA Water Audit Software uses the International Water Association (IWA)/AWWA water audit methodology published in 2000 as part of the IWA publication “Performance Indicators for Water Supply Services.” It is also designed to dovetail with the upcoming publication of the revised AWWA Manual M36. The article describes how the software works and discusses keys to the software's success. It gives instructions on downloading the software from the AWWA website.