Some 31.5 percent of produced drinking water is lost to “decaying and outdated water networks,” according to a report issued by Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) Sunday.
“Total amount of water produced nationwide has reached 8.9 billion cubic meters,” the report said, adding that there is a total loss of clean water estimated at 2.8 billion cubic meters due to deterioration of the networks and leakage from pipelines.
Per-capita water share of produced drinking water has declined to 101.1 cubic meters annually in 2014/2015 compared to 103.4 cubic meters in 2013/2014, with a decrease of 2.2 percent, the report said.
CAPMAS attributed the drop of this share to the increasing population and lack of increase in supply.
Per-capita water consumption in Egypt declined by 11.1 percent in 2013/2014, registering 103.4 cubic meters compared with 116.3 cubic meters in 2012/2013, the CAPMAS said in annual bulletin released on August 18.
According to another report issued by CAPMAS in May 2014, Egypt is experiencing water poverty, as average water resources per capita have dropped to 663 cubic meters, and are expected to plummet to 582 cubic meters by 2025.
Egypt faces a water conflict with Ethiopia over construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, which Cairo says represents threat to downstream countries ( namely Egypt and Sudan.)
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi stated Feb. 24 that the government would be able to compensate for any water losses caused by the under-construction dam, adding that the government is looking into water treatment projects as well as establishing desalinization plants.
