DWASA set to implement Tk 220m pilot project

The Local Government Division (LGD) is moving to introduce a smart metering system in the water supply network, following similar modernisation efforts undertaken in the gas and power sectors.
The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) is supposed to implement a Tk 220 million pilot project designed to bring the city's non-revenue water ratio down to single-digit levels.
Korea's environment ministry will provide Tk 204.56 million in grants to finance the Smart Water Management (SWM) initiative in Dhaka, say Planning Commission officials.
They say the Physical Infrastructure Division of the commission has held a meeting of the Special Project Evaluation Committee (SPEC) to review the LGD's proposal and agreed to proceed with it, subject to revising the Technical Assistance Project Proposal (TAPP) in line with several recommendations.
The LGD proposed completing the installation of over 2,000 smart water meters by June 2028, but the SPEC recommended finishing all project works by June 2027, starting this year.
In the proposal, the LGD requested an allocation of Tk 121.6 million, accounting for over 55.27 per cent of the total cost, for revenue expenditures.
Of the total cost, Tk 82.0 million, or 37.27 per cent, is earmarked for surveys and studies, while Tk 15.1 million, representing 6.86 per cent, for consultancy services.
Expenditures on training, both at home and abroad, are also expected to consume a significant portion of the overall cost.
The SPEC requested that the TAPP include detailed information on the duration and content of both domestic and overseas training, the participants, and the venues.
The TAPP reveals that the project's main objectives are to run a pilot scheme aimed at improving residents' quality of life and establishing a sustainable water management system by providing safe and reliable water across Bangladesh.
The project will enable consumers to conveniently access information on water usage through communication devices.
The DWASA prepared the Water Supply Master Plan in 2014 to ensure reliable water supply across Dhaka city by dividing it into 145 zones, while 80 District Metering Areas (DMAs) were established under several projects.
The DMAs reduced the non-revenue water (NRW) level significantly from over 42 per cent.
To automate the DMAs, the DWASA has launched a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system covering water treatment plants, deep tube wells, and the distribution network, says its Managing Director Engr Md Abdus Salam Bapary.
While the SCADA allows monitoring of water production, it cannot track individual household consumption. To address this, a smart metering system is proposed citywide, he says.
The project will draw on South Korea's technical expertise and experience in smart water management, enabling the authorities to monitor household water usage remotely without visiting homes, adds Bapary.

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