Dade County Water & Sewer Authority

What the utility reported

In 2025, Dade County Water & Sewer Authority supplied 921.5 million gallons and reported 320.3 million gallons lost, or 34.8% of supply. That equals 877,523 gallons per day.

Physical leakage changed +4.4% since 2024, +51.2% since 2020 and +55.2% since 2016. Total losses changed +4.4% in the latest year. Changes in meters, methods or audit boundaries can affect reported trends.

Reported by the utility / calculated from the audit 2025 EPD compilation, worksheet “2025 Water Audits ”, row 66. Definitions.

What deserves a closer look

Repeated figures need the original workbooks

Many volume, connection and cost inputs in the 2018 and 2019 compilations are identical. This proves that submitted compilation values repeat. It does not prove unchanged operations or establish whether the inputs were carried forward.

Compare the complete underlying audit workbooks, certification, meter records and comments for those years. More recent physical-leakage totals should also be checked against source and consumption records.

Physical and apparent losses over time

Compare more than one measure

A physical service connection is not necessarily one home or one bill. Main length, pressure, density and input quality differ across systems.

Where its water came from

Net supply accounts for exports and source-meter adjustments. Raw own-source and import values may not sum directly to adjusted supply. These audits cannot trace a particular leaked gallon to a particular source.

Costs and infrastructure decisions

Physical leakage is typically valued at variable treatment, pumping and purchase costs. Apparent losses are usually valued at retail charges. The full valuation is not guaranteed savings. Project costs, fixed expenses and contract terms matter. Values are retained as filed; historical unit or basis changes limit comparison.

A loss-valuation/operating-expense ratio is withheld until the financial inputs and expense scope are reconciled. Dividing valuation by physical connections does not estimate an individual customer’s bill increase.

The default $1 is an illustration, not a utility cost estimate. Include incremental operating costs when assessing a real program. Fixed labor, debt and contracted purchase minimums may remain.

Data quality and system characteristics

An unusual input warrants explanation, not automatic correction. The leakage index compares real losses with a theoretical reference based on pipes, connections and pressure. Respect applicability flags and inspect the underlying workbook before using it. How to evaluate audit quality.

Who governs this water system?

Water authority Board of Directors

Published regular meeting: fourth Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Dade County Administrative Building, 71 Case Avenue, Trenton. Board page provides meeting documents.

Official utility information · Governing body · Meetings and public documents

Links checked October 14, 2026. Consult current posted meeting notices. Geographic location does not establish county government control.

Records that would explain the figures

The annual compilation does not include all underlying meter results, audit notes, repair records, contracts or engineering studies.

1. Can the full 2018 and 2019 workbooks explain why the compiled fields repeat?

   Records: Complete annual audit workbooks, Comments and Notes, meter verification, and the current water-loss control program.

2. What accounts for rising leakage faster than the connection count?

   Records: Input worksheets, pipe inventory, connection counts, and corresponding financial records.

3. How are source production, customer volumes and pressure zones reconciled monthly?

   Records: Monthly water balances, leak and repair logs, meter tests, targets, budgets and annual progress reports.

Records worth requesting Officials’ oversight checklist