자메이카의 국영상수도기업(National Water Commission, NWC)이 킹스턴과 세인트 앤드류 지역(Kingston & Saint Andrew, KSA)의 물 시스템 효율을 극대화할 방법을 발표했다. 이는 Arison Investments사의 자회사인 Miya사의 4천250만 달러 규모 계약의 일환이다.

이번 5개년 공동 관리 프로젝트는 킹스턴과 세인트 앤드류 지역의 물 분배 시스템 및 현재 54%로 추정되는 상당한 무수익 수량(non-revenue water, NWR)의 감소에 초점을 두고 있다. 이에 킹스턴과 세인트 앤드류 지역의 현재 무수익수량 대부분이 5년 이내에 시스템을 통해 매일 7천만 리터의 신선한 물을 절약할 것으로 예상된다.

The National Water Commission (NWC) of Jamaica has announced that it will maximize the efficiency of its water systems in the KSA (Kingston & Saint Andrew) Area, as part of a signed $42.5-million contract with Miya, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arison Investments. 

The 5-year co-management project focuses on improving KSA's water distribution system and substantially reducing non-revenue water (NRW), currently estimated at 54 percent. Within five years, most of the current NRW in the KSA-area systems will be saved, estimated in daily savings of more than 70 million liters of fresh water.

Miya is already active in the Caribbean, running a mega 10-year project in the Bahamas. Starting in 2012, Miya returned the water system to its continuous supply within two years, and cut NRW by more than half. This culminates in savings of 16 million liters every day, enabling water production to be reduced by almost 20 percent (see: "Bahamas Gets Tough on NRW").

The NWC supplies drinking water to about 600,000 residents in KSA. One of the main targets of this unique co-management project is to build professional NRW capacity within NWC, while increasing the system efficiency. The project is fully funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and includes performance based fees, which will be paid only if contract targets are achieved.

The project includes a comprehensive suite of water-efficiency solutions, incorporating strategic and financial planning, based on efficiency audits of NRW. This will be followed by a water infrastructure improvement phase devised specifically for the area, including the monitoring of water pressure, locating leaks, repairing or replacing selective pipes, and ultimately (after 5 years) handing over responsibility to NWC staff, who will continue to maintain high levels of system efficiency for the long-run.

In cooperation with the Jamaican government and NWC, Miya is also planning to involve the local community in water conservation education programs, equipping people with tools such as a new Smartphone application that improves the connection between citizens and the water authority.

[출처 = Water World / 2015년 7월 9일]