Drinking Water Losses — Kyrgyzstan (Preliminary Report)

1. Current State: Confirmed Data

For Kyrgyzstan, the data situation is more unambiguous than for Kazakhstan: official sources and international assessments converge on the conclusion that water losses are critical.

Minister of Water Resources data (2025): water supply infrastructure is worn by nearly 80%, water losses reach 55%. Solving the water supply problem for 960 villages requires $1.2 billion in investment.
National Statistical Committee data (2024): leakage and technological losses grew from 2,085.2 million m³ in 2018 to 2,417.3 million m³ in 2024. Nationwide, 25.9% to 27.8% of total withdrawn water does not reach consumers — every fourth cubic meter is lost.
Bishkek (SECO data): losses are estimated at 25% of water supplied to the network.

Working estimate: The report adopts 25–27% losses nationwide (per National Statistical Committee data), with peaks in certain regions of up to 55%.

2. Scale of the Problem in Monetary Terms

Water losses: 2,417.3 million m³ (2024).
Cost of lost water: at a conservative estimate of $0.10–0.15/m³, direct losses amount to $242–363 million/year. Including emergency repair costs and secondary contamination — total damage exceeds $400 million/year.
Access to water: in Bishkek, 15–20% of the population lacks access to piped drinking water. Nationwide, 960 villages lack reliable water supply.

3. Administrative Division and Number of Plants

Kyrgyzstan has 7 regions (Batken, Jalal-Abad, Issyk-Kul, Naryn, Osh, Talas, Chuy) and 2 cities of republican significance (Bishkek, Osh). Total: 9 administrative units.

Proposal: 9 compact modular plants, one per region.

Parameter	Value
Number of plants	9
Capacity per plant	50 km/year (DN1000 equivalent)
Total capacity	450 km/year
Composite price DN1000 (unified model)	$149/m
Cast iron analogue price (lower bound)	~$400/m
Saving per meter (material)	$251/m

4. Annual Economic Effect (9 plants × 50 km = 450 km/year)

Saving item	Calculation	Annual saving
Pipe material	450,000 m × $251	$112.95 million
Logistics	(164,250 t cast iron − 27,000 t composite) × $250/t	$34.31 million
Installation	450,000 m × $50/m	$22.50 million
Water conservation	450 km × $68,800/10 km	$30.96 million
TOTAL	—	~$200.72 million/year

$200MAnnual Benefit

$113MMaterial Savings

450 kmPipes per Year

9Modular Plants

At halved figures (conservatively) — ~$100 million in net benefit annually.

5. Key Conclusions for Kyrgyzstan

Problem: Every fourth cubic meter of water (25.9–27.8%) is lost during transmission. Infrastructure is 80% worn, with losses reaching 55% in peak regions. Solving the problem requires $1.2 billion — and that is only for 960 villages, excluding trunk main modernization.

Solution: 9 modular plants by region. At a unified composite price ($149/m) and a confirmed difference from the cast iron analogue ($400/m), the annual economic effect amounts to ~$200 million, of which $113 million is direct savings on pipe material.

      For a country requiring $1.2 billion in external financing, this means that local composite production can cover a significant portion of the investment need through savings on procurement and logistics.
    

Caveat: Calculations use a unified regional composite pricing model ($149/m). Accurate validation for Kyrgyzstan requires commercial proposals from local manufacturers and data on actual water tariffs.

This document has been prepared for internal use. The calculations and conclusions contained herein are analytical assessments based on available data and provided inputs and may not be regarded as an official conclusion or grounds for legal claims.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY. WITHOUT LEGAL CLAIMS.

This document has been prepared solely for internal analysis and discussion. It does not represent an official position, recommendation, or conclusion of any organization. All findings, calculations, and statements contained herein are based on open sources, provided inputs, and engineering assumptions, and may not serve as grounds for legal, financial, or other claims against the compiler. Any use of the document by third parties is at their own risk.