Non-revenue water is a hot topic, and heating up even more in times of rising energy prices. Reason enough for the Danube Learning Partnership to dedicate an in-depth training program to this theme. While already delivered several times in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are proud that the program is now implemented in Montenegro.

For utilities already struggling to cope with the impacts of the prolonged Covid-19 crisis and exploding energy costs, non-revenue water adds to their burden, not once, but twice, because water lost is necessarily water that won't earn, and keeping up the pressure in leaking networks adds considerably to a utility's energy bill.

The D-LeaP Training program “Improved Non-Revenue Water Management in Water Utilities” is dedicated to this problem, raising awareness of the potential impact on the bottom line of the participating utilities, teaching specific tools for a diagnostic approach and showing ways to mitigate the operational and financial damage.

The curriculum has been developed in cooperation with a technical partner, Una Consulting, for delivery by national or regional Hubs, in the local language. It combines workshops with hands-on training exercises with trainer support at the utilities.

Now the Waterworks Association of Montenegro (AWM) and the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro (UoMM) have jointly launched the program on the national level. It is scheduled to run over six months, with the trainings divided into three courses in March, June and September. After each module, the participants will have to do homework in their utilities with constant trainer support.

The program implementation in Montenegro has support and funding from IAWD under the Danube Water Program, RCDN, the Government of Montenegro (through the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism) and the participating utilities through program participation fees. The six utilities who have joined the launch are PUC Bijelo Polje, PUC Budva, PUC Plav, PUC Rozaje, PUC Herceg Novi, PUC Kotor.

For more information on the program, please consult the link below.