Colombo city water supply system(built in 1886.)  is one of the oldest in the Asia. Since then the same distribution system extended to provide water to cater the high demand with different types of pipes that were available.

The distribution system was not rehabilitated as per the standards during that period creating severe problem of high Non-Revenue Water (NRW) percentage in the system. Nearly half of the supplied water (145,000 m³/day) do not generate any revenue thus indicating approximately 49% of NRW of the considered area.

The Government of Sri Lanka, with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank, undertakes the NRW  reduction project in order to solve this promlem in their capital.

The major objectives of the project are: 

• increasing of water supply availability and efficiency in Colombo city;
• extension the distribution system and reducing NRW from 49% to 18% by the year 2020;
• establishing a long-term mechanisms to reduce NRW;
• strengthening of the institutional, operational and project management capacity of water utility.

The project  will begin in January 2016.  Project will last 4 years.