Austin Water outlines steps to reduce system losses after audit identifies measurement and service‑line issues

At a meeting of the Austin Water Implementation Task Force, Austin Water staff described the causes of a large year‑to‑year increase in measured water loss and outlined steps to reduce leaks and improve metering and data systems.

The utility said two accounting and measurement corrections largely explain a roughly 30% jump in its industry loss index (ILI) from 2023 to 2024, and that it will pursue an expanded program of service‑line replacement, additional condition assessment, and new data and meter QA to bring losses down.

Austin Water emphasized the difference between “real losses” (physical leaks) and “apparent losses” (metering/billing errors) and said work across both fronts is required. Matt Cullen, division manager for pipeline engineering and operation support at Austin Water, said, “And so we’ve been increasing and that’s not where we want to be,” describing three main drivers: corrected…