Bridging the %E2%82%AC6.5 Trillion Water Infrastructure Gap A Playbook 2025

Much of the world’s water distribution infrastructure now exceeds its optimal design life, reflecting decades of deferred investment in network renewal and modernization, and resulting in higher risk of breakdown and service disruption. In the United Kingdom (UK), for instance, the average pipeline age reaches 70 years, while in Europe it ranges from 40 to 60 years, and in the United States (US), 45 years.13 Additionally, renewal rates remain far below what is considered sustainable: in Europe, the average annual renewal rate is only 0.6%, while in the US, it is about 1%. However, a renewal rate of around 2% is generally deemed appropriate for OECD countries, with at least 1% necessary to maintain system integrity over time.14 CASE STUDY 3 Acea – District metering areas in Rome Acea Ato2, part of the Acea Group, the water utility serving Rome, Italy, operates a 17,000 km network where ageing infrastructure and difficult topography had pushed losses to nearly 50% of production. Climate change has reduced availability by up to 20%, while European Union (EU) regulations now impose stricter limits on water losses. To respond, Acea launched an €850 million programme to segment the network into more than 790 DMAs, covering 80% of the system, deploying smart sensors and valves coupled with a water management system to predict leaks and optimize pressure. Since 2017, water losses have fallen by 10%, saving 80 million m³ of non-revenue water while expanding service to 150,000 new residents. Average age of water networks for select high-income countries FIGURE 8Revamp ageing infrastructure 020406080 United Kingdom Norway Japan United States Spain Netherlands70 60 50 45 40 40Years Source: Global Water Intelligence Bridging the €6.5 Trillion Water Infrastructure Gap: A Playbook 18