The Public Accounts Committee at Stormont will today investigate the high levels of leakage in Northern Ireland's water system.
It was taking evidence from the permanent secretary of the Department of Regional Development Mr Nigel Hamilton on steps taken to reduce the amount of water lost.
Last year, the Assembly's independent auditor, Mr John Dowdall, said an average 253 million out of the 692 million litres produced in the North daily was lost through leakage.
The auditor said the Water Service had not kept pace with the privatised companies in England and Wales in reducing the levels lost in the system. He recommended the service should aim for an "economic level of leakage".
The Water Service produced a target of reducing leakage to 177 million litres a day by 2003, a reduction of between 3 and 7 per cent a year.
"In the opinion of the Audit Office this is too conservative and target reductions of between 12.5 and 15 per cent a year are likely to be economically justified," Mr Dowdall said.
The report also recommended that the Department consider introducing meters in developing its future plans for providing water and sewerage services.
PA