北美水行业面临的挑战是，在管理成本、保护环境和确保水资源长期可持续性的同时，实现水质、基础设施和客户满意度的改善。然而，这一水行业的效率受到质疑，因为许多水供应商从源头向客户管理的大部分水都因泄漏或核算不当而蒙受损失。此外，该行业没有统一的水资源核算或泄漏管理国家标准。美国水务工程协会的泄漏检测和水责任委员会已经制定了一项全面的战略计划，指定了旨在提高北美水行业对减少水损失、提高水效率和需求管理实践的关注度的活动。 该计划的主要目标是:提高对北美水资源流失程度的认识；确定制定水损失绩效和水资源核算标准的方法；此外，安排论坛，确定在北美以外成功使用的、可在这里应用的渐进式泄漏管理技术的组件。本文中的讨论指出了增加行业在水损失和改善需求管理方面的努力的重大必要性，并描述了AWWA为增加这一重点而开展的新活动。包括9个参考文献、图表。

The North American water industry is challenged to implement improvements in water quality, infrastructure, and customer satisfaction, while still managing costs, protecting the environment, and ensuring long-term sustainability of our water resources. The efficiency of this water industry is in question, however, as many water suppliers lose to leakage or poor accounting substantial portions of the water that they manage from the source to the customer. Moreover, no consistent national standard exists for water accounting or leakage management in this industry. The American Water Works Association's Leak Detection & Water Accountability Committee has assembled a comprehensive strategic plan designating activities designed to increase the focus of the North American water industry on reducing water loss and promoting water efficiency and demand management practices. The major goals of this plan are to: raise awareness of the extent of water loss in North America; define ways to develop standards for water loss performance and water accounting; and, schedule forums that will identify components of progressive leak management technology successfully utilized outside North America that can be applied here. The discussion included in this paper notes the significant need to increase industry effort regarding water loss and improved demand management, and describes emerging AWWA activities to increase this focus. Includes 9 references, figures.