Smart water infrastructure could save emerging market countries $12.3 billion annually
Oct 01, 2013
Water scarcity is a growing problem across the globe, compounded by climate change and population growth. All signs indicate that this scarcity will only continue to grow more severe, even potentially leading to conflict between nations. An incredible 38% of all water produced in emerging market countries is lost to leakage from poor infrastructure, waste, and theft. Smart infrastructure aimed at addressing this problem could prove to be the most significant solution to water scarcity and has the potential to save $12.3 billion each year if fully implemented.
Emerging market countries are starting to take note and deploy smart water infrastructure to reduce their so called "non-revenue water." In fact, 72 emerging market countries are projected to cumulatively spend $46.5 billion by 2023, according to a new study released today by Northeast Group, LLC. Spending will be allocated across smart water metering, smart water networks, smart irrigation and software analytics to optimize water use.
"Emerging market nations are struggling with water scarcity and cannot continue to ignore the full cost of water and water losses," according to Ben Gardner, president of Northeast Group. "Implementing smart water infrastructure is a critical step these countries must take to address their water challenges."
Northeast Group's study calculates a "full cost of water" to account for implicit subsidies and infrastructure costs that are often not captured in utility tariffs. It uses this and current tariff costs to assess the savings potential for smart water infrastructure projects across 72 countries. The $12.3bn savings potential conservatively assumes one-third the difference between current tariffs and the full cost of water in each country.
"The return on investment for smart water projects is very positive, with payback periods often of just a few years. Financing and technical issues remain challenging in some countries, but smart water infrastructure has benefits that far exceed costs in almost all markets," added Gardner.
Northeast Group's Emerging Markets Smart Infrastructure: Smart Water study is 160 pages long, includes forecasts of four market segments for 72 individual countries, profiles 35 case studies and key vendors and comes with an excel file with over 5,000 data points. To order a copy of the study, please visit: www.northeast-group.com or email Ben Gardner at: ben.gardner@northeast-group.com
More News and Articles
Apr 24, 2024
News
Sustainable drainage solutions: German Start-up transforms urban water management.
Germany boasts a well-established infrastructure for managing rainwater and wastewater, yet many developing countries lack such systems. Addressing this gap, …
Apr 22, 2024
News
HDD tooling that gets the job done
Horizontal directional drilling is a dynamic process that constantly changes and adapts to suit a range of applications across utilities and infrastructure. Operators looking to get the most from their equipment …
Apr 19, 2024
News
WATCH: Overnight with SAERTEX-LINER H20 in São Paulo
Available through Pipe Core, high-quality liner SAERTEX-LINER H20 performed under pressure in São Paulo, Brazil.
Maintaining aging potable water pipe infrastructure is a constant challenge …
Apr 17, 2024
News
Immersive media provides wastewater experience in Denmark
An immersive media experience (IMX) may not be what most people want when they think about industrial wastewater, but that is exactly what visitors can expect when they visit a new installation …
Apr 15, 2024
News
Spotlight on gender diversity at Pipe Core
Since founding in 2008, Pipe Core’s team has grown across all areas of the business and is now in a position where there are more females than males across the organisation. Research published in Harvard …
Apr 12, 2024
News
New Wave of Startups Scale Innovation to Solve Global Water Challenges
Innovators from Around the World Join Xylem’s 2024 Accelerator Program to Deploy Breakthrough Innovations for Utilities and Industrial Users of Water
A new group of startups …
Apr 08, 2024
News
Integrated sustainable electricity and clean drinking water systems
Altitude Water and New Use Energy Solutions have partnered to create integrated, mobile solar-plus-water generation systems that produce sustainable electricity and clean drinking …
Apr 05, 2024
News
How to Evaluate Hydraulic Fracture Risk in HDD Design
The design of horizontal directional drill (HDD) installations often requires an evaluation of the potential for hydraulic fracture of the soil layers through which an HDD passes. Evaluating …
Apr 02, 2024
News
Historic Project Linking Rome and Vatican City Uses Advanced Technology and Local Knowledge to Keep Water Flowing
Relocation of Major Sewer Infrastructure Enables Construction of Pedestrian Link for 35 Million Visitors to the 2025 Jubilee
Water …
Mar 27, 2024
News
USU Study Looks at Water Main Break Rates in the U.S. and Canada
Report Highlights Correlation Between Material and Diameter
Utah State University (USU) has published new research on water main breaks in the United States and Canada, examining …
Mar 26, 2024
News
Update BE-21: New Material in Course and Modules on Trenchless Pipe Installation
Online training on the topic of pipeline installation in civil engineering: Trenchless technology for underground drainage construction can be a resource-efficient, …
Mar 25, 2024
Article
Bacteria as a new weapon in wastewater treatment
In early November, San Diego based startup Aquacycl officially opened its first European office and test center at the Water Campus in Leeuwarden. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) …
Contact
Northeast Group, LLC
1316 9th St, NW
20001 Washington, DC
United States
Phone:
+1 (202) 538-0848