Active Pressure Control: The Most Cost-Effective Strategy to Reduce Leaks in Drinking Water Networks

In most drinking water distribution networks across Mexico and Latin America, between 30% and 50% of the water produced is never billed. A significant share of that loss doesn't come from large, visible ruptures, but from thousands of background leaks: small seepages at joints, service connections, and aging pipes that drip silently 24 hours a day.

There is a direct, well-documented physical relationship: the higher the pressure, the higher the leakage flow. Every excess kilogram of pressure in the network not only wastes water — it also accelerates pipe wear, multiplies nighttime bursts, and drives up pumping energy consumption.

That's why active pressure control is recognized worldwide as the most effective, fastest-payback strategy to reduce non-revenue water.

What is active pressure control?

It consists of precisely regulating the pressure in each hydraulic sector or district metered area (DMA), delivering at all times the minimum pressure needed to guarantee service — no more, no less.

Instead of operating the network at the maximum pressure demanded by peak hours, a pressure reducing valve (PRV) with an intelligent controller adjusts the setpoint throughout the day:

• Time-based profile: lower pressures overnight, when demand drops and leakage dominates the flow.
• Demand-based profile: pressure follows the actual flow measured at the sector inlet.
• Minimum night pressure: control based on the network's critical point, guaranteeing service at the most unfavorable location.

Real results: 18.54% of flow recovered

This isn't theory. Marfel implemented active pressure control in a real network with 9,784 service connections, with measured, verified results:

Nearly 13 liters per second that were previously lost to leaks now stay in the network: over 1.1 million liters per day recovered in a single zone, without repairing a single pipe. And with pressure reduced, the frequency of new bursts also drops — the benefit compounds over time.

The complete technology solution

A successful pressure control project integrates three components working together:

1. NeoFlow Oxford PRV — the next-generation valve. An axial-flow pressure reducing valve with a polymer body, up to 9 times lighter than conventional iron valves. No diaphragm to replace and no corrosion, dramatically reducing maintenance and making installation easy in existing valve chambers.

2. GCR controllers — local and remote intelligence. GCR controllers govern the PRV with programmable profiles based on time, demand, or critical pressure, log inlet and outlet pressures, and allow setpoints to be adjusted remotely without field visits.

3. SOFREL LS-P data loggers — eyes on the network. IoT loggers with reinforced IP68 protection that monitor pressure and flow 24/7 at the sector's critical points, transmitting data to the supervision platform and closing the control loop.

The entire system integrates with SCADA, allowing the utility to supervise its sectors, receive alarms, and adjust setpoints from the office.

Return on investment: under 2 years

Recovered water has direct value: it's water that doesn't need to be produced, treated, or pumped. Adding energy savings, fewer pipe bursts, and extended infrastructure life, active pressure control projects typically pay for themselves in less than 2 years — while their benefits extend for decades.

For a utility with limited resources, few investments offer this combination of immediate, measurable, and sustained impact.

Start with a diagnosis

Every project begins with measurement: sectorizing the network, logging pressures and flows, and identifying the zones with the greatest recovery potential. At Marfel Ambiente, Agua y Energía we support water utilities through the entire cycle — diagnosis, engineering, supply, installation, and commissioning — with proven technology and verifiable results.

Want to know how much water your network can recover? Write to us at sales@marfelusa.com or explore the complete solution at Pressure Control.