Newsletter
OPERATIONAL COACHING PROGRAMMES (OCP)
FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS & WATER SUPPLY NETWORKS/WATER LOSSES
Based on our wide practical experience in operation of water & wastewater facilities we offer individual Operational Coaching Programmes in the field of O&M of WWTPs and water supply networks / water losses for operational staff at our headquarters in Leipzig.
OCP Wastewater Treatment Plants
During this Coaching Program the participants will be familiarised in depth with the operations of a functioning conventional WWTP and will be embedded into the day-to-day operations of the plant. At the end of the coaching, they are competent in the routine operational procedures of a conventional WWTP and are capable to explain operational relations and identify and solve operational problems and challenges.
Duration:
4 weeks (March - November)
Location:
WWTP Rosenthal / Leipzig
Target Group:
Operational Staff of WWTP
N° of Participants:
max 2 simultaneously
Language:
German, English as auxiliary language for clarification
Contents:
Week 1: Introduction to the WWTP - Initial coaching on tasks to be performed by participants incl. Health & Safety precautions - Setting up assignment plan for participants
Week 2 & 3: Integration of the participants into the regular operational shifts to undergo a complete cycle of routine O&M procedures inclusive quality monitoring (influent/effluent) and measures in case of disturbances / emergencies of all components at the WWTP: - Mechanical Treatment (Screens, Grit Removal, Primary Settlement) - Biological Treatment and Further Treatment (Activated Sludge Treatment, Phosphate Elimination) - Sludge Treatment (Thickeners, Digestion, De-Watering)
Week 4: Finalisation of practical coaching in shifts - Finalisation, wrap-up, clarification - Competence test and certificate
Post Coaching supplied for 4 weeks by Sachsen Wasser
OCP Water Supply Networks / Water Losses
Participants of this Coaching Program will be familiarised with common practices of O&M of water supply networks and will be embedded into daily operations practices. Furthermore participants will also be introduced to methods of water loss reduction (establishment / monitoring of DMAs, management of pressure zones, modern asset management, active leak detection). At the end of the coaching program, participants will have an understanding of relevant tasks of water supply network operations and water loss reduction and are able to identify operational problems and propose possible solutions.
Duration:
3 weeks (May - September)
Location:
Supply Area of KWL / Leipzig
Target Group:
Operational Staff of Water Utilities (Water Supply Network)
N° of Participants:
2
Language:
German, English as auxiliary language for clarification
Contents:
Day 1 - 3: Introduction & Overview of Supply Area of KWL - Initial Coaching on tasks and assignment plan - Theoretical principles
Day 4 - 12: Practical coaching in following fields: planning of tasks of preventative maintenance, inspections of water network and fittings, documentation (mobile GIS), pipe flushing, monitoring and detection of water losses in DMAs by using noise loggers, correlators, ground microphones, pressure sensors
Day 13 - 15: Data evaluation of work conducted by participant (e.g. calculation of water losses) - Finalisation, wrap-up, clarification of open issues, competence test, certificate
Post-Coaching supplied for 4 weeks by Sachsen Wasser
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NEWSLETTER 2012
ENERGY OPTIMIZATION... a challenge for the water sector
Processes carried out by water and wastewater utilities worldwide are highly complex and often require a considerable technological standard. Water production, treatment and distribution on the one side and wastewater collection, treatment and environmentally safe disposal on the other side most often depend on highly complex processes with a substantial demand of energy. Water utilities are not only responsible for supply of hygienically safe water and the environmentally safe disposal of wastewater, utilities are also responsible for using the limited financial resources in the most efficient way in order to achieve the aforementioned objectives. Yet many utility managers seem unaware of the financial burden represented by wrongly dimensioned and thus inefficiently operating electrical devices. This is despite the fact that many utilities face two challenges: insufficient financial resources and increasing operational costs as demands on the service (quality, continuity, availability, etc.) increase. Consequently, a new trend can be observed on the donors' agenda where an increasing number of donor- and self-financed projects include measures to assess and potentially optimize energy consumption for the benefit of the long-term (financial) viability of the beneficiary / water/wastewater utility. Sachsen Wasser GmbH has in-house and external expertise, experience and technical options to identify, recommend and implement economically sound optimization measures. Optimization activities begin with a thorough assessment of the initial operating conditions including the testing and calculation of the energy efficiency of individual devices such as pumps at the water sources and booster pumping stations. This requires the collection of reliable operating data. Additionally measurements can be carried out in the field to complement the data including Water Flow/Quantity Measurement and Determination; Pres-sure Measurements; Power (Energy) Consumption Measurement; Power Factor Determination; and Energy and Efficiency Comparisons between old and new pumps; etc.
EDITORIAL - Water and Energy are closely intertwined: Water is an integral component in most energy producing technologies and water production and treatment often require substantial amounts of energy. As operator of water and wastewater facilities (plants and networks) Sachsen Wasser has first hand experience on the challenges regarding energy consumption at these facilities as well as knowledge regarding the entrepreneurial risk associated with excessive and inefficient energy consumption in water supply and wastewater treatment. This risk is also increasing-ly recognized by international donors as well as individual water and wastewater utilities worldwide. As consultant Sachsen Wasser therefore shares its experience in this respect in a multitude of national and international projects. The current newsletter is also dedicated to this topic.After several decades of international development cooperation "water" and "wastewater" remain challenging topics worldwide. This shall be accommodated by the new format of our newsletter where one particular topic of relevance will come to the fore, accompanied by brief accounts of selected projects. Dr. Jürgen Wummel, Managing Director, Sachsen Wasser GmbH
MONTENEGRO: Bar, Herceg-Novi, Kotor, and Tivat
A total of 28 pumps in 4 municipalities were analyzed for energy efficiency and optimization potential. The activities included the separate testing and calculation of the energy efficiency of individual pumps; an assessment of the condition, operation, security and safety of the electrical panels and supply system within the premises; review of the existence and suitability of any surge protection equipment; and a general assessment of the condition of the electricity supply network and transformers associated with each station.
GERMANY: Bernburg
The Water Association Saale-Fuhne-Ziethe contracted Sachsen Wasser GmbH to conduct an analysis and energy optimization of the WWTP Bernburg (60.000 p.e.). The services additionally included conducting studies about the feasibility and viability of individual technologies such as solar drying and the storage of high-pressure gas. Furthermore the production and consumption of biogas was analysed.
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: Bihac, Derventa, & Kostanica
As part of KfW-financed Accompanying Measures in Bihac, Derventa and Kostanica Sachsen Wasser assessed the condition and suitability for purpose of the mechanical and electrical installations at the water sources and booster pumping stations as well as the current level of efficiency of each of the pumping units. Recommendations for increased energy efficiency through the replacement of pumps or by fitting variable speed drives and soft starts or any combination of the above were made based on measurements, and a detailed cost-benefit analysis.
GERMANY: Nauen
Since January 2006 Sachsen Wasser is operating a total of 3 WWTP, 7 water works, 400 km of water distribution network, 500 km of sewage network and 243 pumping stations for the Water and Waste-water Association Havelland (WAH). For these facilities (50.000 p.e.) Sachsen Wasser developed an energy concept which included an assessment of the current situation as well as the development of short-term low-cost measures as well as long-term investment measures for increased energy efficiency.
MEXICO: Durango
Sachsen Wasser conducted an optimization of the wastewater treatment services in the city of Victoria de Durango which included the development and implementation of measures targeting increased energy efficiency and reduction of operational cost while still maintaining the effluent standards.
CURRENT ACTIVITIES - Selected Snapshots
The following is a very brief snapshot of selected ongoing or recently completed projects.
ALBANIA: National Study on the Customer Services of Water Utilities
Recently, Sachsen Wasser presented the results of a UNDP financed study on customer services in Albania on a national workshop in Tirana. The objective was to draw the attention of the upper management of all 56 Albanian water utilities as well as participating representatives of Government institutions and of donors to the importance and a vision for customer service as well as to show the current situation and the need for improvements in Albania.
BRAZIL: IWRM and Capacity Development
Between summer 2010 and December 2011 Sachsen Wasser and its parent company KWL (public utility of Leipzig) have conducted a series of workshops for knowledge ex-change and transfer regarding topics such as leak reduction, plant automation and remote control, as well as modern utility management tools with the public water and wastewater utility of Brasilia CAESB. The positive results of the Project IWAS-Áqua DF (funded by the BMBF, German Ministry for Education and Research) have led to an extension of the project until June 2013. Focus of additional workshops will be exchange of experiences regarding the introduction of a central steering system (SCADA) as well a Laboratory Information Management System.
EGYPT: Competency Based Training
Sachsen Wasser has successfully finalised the Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) Programme on behalf of the HCWW (Holding Company for Water and Wastewater) in Egypt in December 2011. Working together with its partners the Training Project qualified a total of 46 Trainees of HCWW, its affiliated water companies and Technical Secondary Schools in CBET methods and tools. Main issues were the development of competence standards in the water and wastewater sector, development of training curricula and modules based and applied teaching methods in CBET. Besides the scheduled Training Courses and Presence Coachings, additional training was supplied to the Career Path Development Department of HCWW, and a CBET Manual was elaborated in Arabic as reference document. Further steps for HCWW to institutionalise CBET within its organisation have been defined.
MAURITANIA/GERMANY: Training of Water Experts
In October 2011 Sachsen Wasser conducted a five day training workshop in French in Leipzig for ten specialists and executives of the Mauritanian water supply company SNDE (Société Nationale de l'Eau) in cooperation with GIZ and our parent company KWL. This workshop was part of several measures of GIZ to ensure a sustainable management of water supply in Mauritania. Drinking water supply in Mauritania and especially in the capital Nouakchott is very strained. The water supply network - built in the 1960s - is insufficient to ensure the supply of today's population of over 800.000 people. To secure a sufficient drinking water supply and to save the groundwater resources in the future, water of the Senegal River will be pumped through a 170 km long pipeline into the capital. The participants of the training were familiarized with the currently used concepts and technologies in water supply so that they may use them for planning and implementing efficient and sustainable water supply projects in Mauritania. The training consisted among others of seminars in the field of opera-tional management, combined with round table discussions and visits of technical facilities like water treatment plants, in order to strengthen the capability of the management and the technical staff of SNDE. Further-more awareness raising regarding the protection of natural water resources was a topic of the training - an important aspect in a country with limited water resources and lack of adequate sanitation.
GERMANY: Construction Cost Contribution
In Germany owners of property can be obliged to contribute to investment measures such as the new construction of water distribution and/or sewer net-works. The amount of the contribution then depends on the total investment costs and property-specific aspects which are specified in the scale of fees and/or the articles of a water/waste-water association. These can include type of building and the size of the property, among others. The determination of this contribution to construction costs is quite a sensitive and complex undertaking. Sachsen Wasser supported the Association Dübener Heide in identifying concerned properties, ownership status, an assessment of the properties with regards to the size and the building types. Based on this assessment a notification of fees (invoice) was produced for each property including an AutoCAD drawing of the property and a detailed description of the basis for the calculation.
GERMANY: Environmental Remediation
End of 2011 Sachsen Wasser extended its range of services into consulting for environmental remediation. Following a public tender Sachsen Wasser was contracted to provide consultancy services for measures on environmental remediation at the chemical production site Leuna, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Services included among others: 1) Conducting a thorough assessment of the relevant facilities; 2) Development of Tender Documents; 3) Acting as Tender Agent; 4) Development of a Scope of Services for the technical supervision of groundwater remediation measures; 5) Development of Operation Manuals, SOPs, SMPs and Safety Plans; and 6) Development of Optimization concepts.
MONTENEGRO: Adriatic Coast - Bar / Herceg Novi / Kotor / Tivat
Sachsen Wasser in cooperation with its partners continues to support four local water and wastewater utilities (ViKs) on the Montenegrin Coast and their regional service company Vodacom. The Project, running since September 2009, has tackled a whole range of commercial and financial advisory and training services, including the development of standard commercial procedures and policies, introduction of cost centre structures and accountancy rules, introduction of MIS and benchmarking, as well as Tariff Studies for the 4 ViKs of Bar, Herceg Novi, Kotor and Tivat. The ViKs were also successfully supported in setting up their medium-term Business Plans. On the technical side, a part of the services rendered was devoted to the establishment of Pilot Zones (DMAs), and training of the operational staff in the execution of zoning, flow measurement and leak detection. Two Pilot Zones have been established in every town, a third one is currently under preparation in Kotor. Hydraulic models have been built up for the ViKs and a GIS system (MapInfo) installed. During the work in the Pilot Zones, non-registered customers could be identified which have been transformed into subscribers. Leak detection activities and immediate repair activities have been carried out and showed first positive results: During the summer of 2011, in the existing two pilot zones of Kotor, physical losses could be reduced by 669 m³/d and 285 m³/d, respectively. Further steps followed: ViK and Vodacom staff have also been trained in the methods and application of a Water Audit, which was undertaken as a sample for the water supply system of Herceg Novi in November 2011, and supported by HEIS Sarajevo. In agreement with the client and the Financing Agency (KfW), further services have been agreed with regard to a comprehensive GIS survey and full build-up a GIS database (water supply) for the town of Kotor.
MONTENEGRO: Danilovgrad
From April 2011 until February 2012 Sachsen Wasser provided Technical Assistance for the development and implementation of a Financial and Operational Performance Improvement Programme (FOPIP) to the Public Water Supply and Sewage Company Danilovgrad, (PWSC). Activities performed achieved a tangible progress towards the transition objectives of the Project and supported the improvement of the Company's commercial viability and its administrative and managerial capacities. With support of the FOPIP measures, the services of the PWSC were defined anew such that the company is now only responsible for covering water and waste-water related services of the town whereas all other public services (i.e. waste disposal or irrigation of green spaces) have been transferred into a separate public company. Furthermore a range of additional consultancy and training measures were performed by Sachsen Wasser in order to improve the performance of the water and wastewater services of Danilovgrad, in particular to: (1) Increase revenue collection, (2) Improve accounting management, (3) Implementing Business Planning, (4) Reducing administrative water losses, (5) Developing a tariff model incl. a socio-economic survey, and (6) Enhance capacity of utility staff. Additionally, measures to support the reduction of administrative water losses were developed and initiated within the FOPIP Project but the need for further on-the-job assistance for the Project was identified. An extension of services was requested by the municipal administration of Danilovgrad and recently contractually agreed with Sachsen Wasser and EBRD which shall specifically aim at: (1) Increasing the reliability of the services and results in the corporate management of the Company (e.g. Corporate Development Plan / Business Plan); (2) Implementing recommendations for an improved operational efficiency and levels of service (e.g. reducing real water losses and unaccounted for water in general); (3) Implementing recommendations for an improved financial performance (e.g. increase the revenue collection, reduce accounts receivable, etc.); and (4) Improving the capacity of the company's staff.
FURTHER ACTIVITIES
Besides these projects, work continues in our O&M contract in Nauen/Germany (~50.000 p.e.) as well as in our other projects in Albania and Egypt. Due to the current situation, projects in Syria are on hold. Sachsen Wasser continues to develop projects in water supply and wastewater management in Germany, Central & Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Anglophone Sub-Saharan Africa.
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NEWSLETTER 2011
MONTENEGRO: Danilovgrad
The Government of Montenegro is receiving a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) of about 5 Million Euro. This loan will enable public water utility of Danilovgrad, to finance improvements in their water supply infrastructure and the development of wastewater collection and treatment in Danilovgrad. Sachsen Wasser has been contracted together with a local partner for implementing the Financial and Operational Performance Improvement Programme (FOPIP) in order to improve the capacity of the Public Utility Company (PUC) Danilovgrad. While the Company is managed adequately, a number of operational problems persist. There are high levels of technical losses due to a failure in undertaking investments in the water supply infrastructure. The utility is also faced with high energy and maintenance costs of the water supply due to the poor physical condition of the water supply network. Therefore rehabilitation of the water supply and construction of wastewater collection and treatment facilities is needed. The overall objective of the project is to improve the Company's operational efficiency and financial management in order to improve and strengthen its capacity to provide high quality water and sewerage services. In detail, the assignment will aim at measures and actions to improve corporate management of the Company and assist the Company to prepare a long-term (5-year) corporate development programme, including capital budget. Also measures and actions to improve operational efficiency and levels of service (e.g. reducing water leakages, reducing number of bursts) as well as measures and actions to reduce operating costs will be conducted. Furthermore for the improvement of financial performance (e.g. increase the revenue collection, reduce accounts receivable, etc.) measures and actions will be executed. Additionally the consultants will assist the Company in implementation of measures to improve the Company's management of the environmental, health and safety and labour/social issues. Last but not least measures to improve the capacity of the Company's staff and to improve public and customer relations are taken. The project started at the beginning of April with mobilisation and will be finished in March 2012.
SERBIA: Novi Pazar
Novi Pazar (new bazaar) is the main economic and cultural centre of the Sandzak region in the southern tip of Serbia. The municipality is spread over hills and mountains surrounding the city. The Municipal Water Enterprise (MWE) of Novi Pazar is responsible for the provision of a reliable and sustainable water supply service to the population at a socially and economically acceptable price for approx. 100.000 inhabitants. However, the operation of the system is inadequate - supply shortages start as early as March and last until the end of August, year after year. Primary reasons for the shortages are inadequate use of treatment capacities (both quantitative and qualitative), insufficient storage capacity, a poor state of the distribution network due to lack of appropriate maintenance, unstable operation of the distribution system, exorbitantly high water losses, extensive use of potable water for garden/plant watering, illegal connections, insufficient and irregular billing, poor collection and low water prices. The development agency of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, Lux-Development, has committed to supporting MWE Novi Pazar in improving its provision of services. Sachsen Wasser has been contracted as part of a consortium to render consulting services to MWE Novi Pazar. These services focus on 1) the establishment of a strategy of MWE's organisational development, 2) the improvement of MWE's financial management, and 3) the improvement of MWE's commercial procedures. Sachsen Wasser services concentrate on the improvement of MWE's commercial procedures, comprising among others: a) the establishment of a separate customer service unit, establishment / improvement of appropriate procedures for customer registration (customer database) and contracting, consumption monitoring, billing and collection, complaint handling, implementation of awareness campaigns; b) establishment of a service level agreement between MWE and the municipality, as well as c) the design of performance monitoring tools and procedures.
ALBANIA: Berat-Kuçova and Lushnja
An international consortium lead by Sachsen Wasser has been assigned as the Consultants of the German KfW financed project "Water Supply Central Albania - Consulting Services for Accompanying Training Measure for Water Supply and Wastewater Utilities Berat-Kuçova and Lushnja". The main objective is to improve the technical, commercial and financial performance of the water service utilities. Water utilities in Berat and Kucova have merged recently but practically both utilities run their business still separately (e.g. different tariff systems). Organisational development is one of the main challenges of the project. Both distribution networks are in poor condition with high technical losses. Support in leak detection and maintenance will be executed to reduce technical losses and to improve capacities of technical staff. Administrative losses are also extremely high, e.g. caused by low level of metering in Berat, several illegal connections, water meter bypasses as well as a low billing & collection rate prevails. Therefore objectives are the improvement of collection and billing efficiency and improvement of financial sustainability for a fully cost coverage without subsidies from the government. The Lushnja component has been added to this training measure programme. For the Lushnja water utility, an assessment of the present situation will be executed in order to identify improvement recommendations for technical, commercial and financial performance of water services. Training measures will be proposed to be conducted within this project and in future in order to improve the skills of the personnel.
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: Bihac, Derventa and Kostajnica
Institutional Development Project in Bosnia-Herzegovina successfully finalised: In March 2011, Sachsen Wasser closed its local office in Bihać, a 60.000 people town in the north-west of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) at the border to Croatia. From here, a team of international and local experts carried out the institutional development component of a KfW-project to strengthen the water utilities of the towns of Bihać, Derventa and Kostajnica. After the war (1992-1996), the country has been divided into two entities and one district, followed by a considerable migration of the population. The project deliberately included towns from both the Bosnian Federation as well as from Republica Srbska, for one aspect of the programme was to bring the people of the two entities of the country together. Since February 2006, the project team supported all three utilities in various fields, such as general management support, leakage reduction, improvement of the operational performance, increase of the collection efficiency or introduction of a cost-covering tariff. "The first days have surely not been easy." Azra Osmanagić, the local office manager remembers. "We found old working methods and ailing infrastructure, destroyed by the war. Also some resistance against our recommendations first had to be overcome." Today the fruits of labour can be seen. The changes and improvements within the working methods take effect, the overall utility management and the motivation of the staff strongly improved. Moreover district metered areas have lead to an increase control over the drinking water network. This and accompanying trainings on leak detection and reduction procedures lead to a noticeable reduction of non-revenue water. Last but not least the payment practices of the population could be improved thus achieving a sustainable collection rate of more than 80%. This could be achieved at the same time as cost-covering tariffs were introduced and officially approved in Bihać. Leipzig has a strong link to BiH - also caused by the town twinning with Travnik. The supporters association of the town twinning (www.leipzig-travnik.de) has been awarded with the 1st European Citizen Award in 2009. Since the beginning of this partnership also the KWL-Group and Sachsen Wasser have been locally engaged and support their colleagues on site - in Travnik and other municipalities within the country.
SYRIA: Aleppo
Aleppo is located in the Northwest of Syria and is with an estimated population of 1.7 million the second most populated city in Syria (population in Damaskus estimated at 1.8 million; 2010). According to archeological research, Aleppo is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world; it has been inhabited since perhaps as early as the 6th millennium BC. Excavations at Tell Qaramel (25 km north of Aleppo) show the area to have been inhabited since the 11th millennium BC, which makes it the oldest known human settlement in the world. Aleppo's water source is Lake Assad which has been created by the Tabaqah dam built in the seventies and damming the Euphrates River since end of 70ies. However, this huge water source is increasingly endangered by the growing withdrawal of water due to the Southeast Development Project / GAP project in Turkey. In this context the KfW-financed Water Loss Reduction Programme Aleppo aims at rehabilitation and restructuring the water supply network and related facilities, connecting poorer people to the public WS system and provision of house connections and water meters in order to allow for consumption related billing. Accompanying measures have been identified as necessary in order to ensure a smooth project implementation in due time and to establish and develop the institutional framework for a sustainable operation of the WS system. Sachsen Wasser has been contracted as part of a consortium to carry out the accompanying measures Services B which cover 1) the Programme management by means of establishment of a PIU consisting of staff of the utility (Public Establishment for water and sanitation services of Aleppo, PEWSSA) and headed by the Programme Manager of Services B with the task to monitor and follow up the programme activities and support PEWSSA in successful implementation of the physical measures. Furthermore Services B focus on 2) the development and implementation of concepts and plans for sustainable operation and maintenance, safe drinking water quality, improved customer management and sound financial management. Besides the Services B, the consortium is implementing 3) the Investment Fund for Water Management (IFWM) which shall provide the required hard- and software as well as the necessary equipment for PEWSSA to operate the WS system in a sustainable manner. The project aims at securing a supply of at least 18 hrs/day with drinking water (WHO-standards) via the public water supply network and achieving a reduction of Non Revenue Water (IWA-Definition) in the city of Aleppo by 10%-points (45% -> 35%). Sachsen Wasser services focus on provision of Institutional Strengthening of the Utility, the preparation and implementation of a Leakage Control Programme, preparation and implementation of an Operation and Maintenance Concept, improvements in Finance and Accounting by introduction of IAS (Internal Account System), improvements in Customer Management by customer surveys and the introduction of a Performance Indicator System to measure PEWSSA's overall performance.
ALBANIA: UNDP
In 2006, Albania signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union. Albania's reform agenda under the SAA is impressive, covering areas ranging from political dialogue and regional cooperation to free movement of goods, services, workers and capital. Also the gradual approximation of the Albanian legislation in the field of consumer protection with that of the community and European best practices is an obligation set out in the SAA. In this context the World Bank and UNDP jointly implement the Economic Governance (EG) program which is expected to achieve among others a strengthening of relevant consumer associations and state bodies. As part of this outcome the EG program intends to implement a national study on the customer services of 56 Albanian water utility companies. Together with an Albanian partner, Sachsen Wasser has been contracted to conduct this UNDP financed study. The objective is to conduct a mapping of the current situation, identify strengths and weaknesses and make recommendations on how to improve the customer services of the Albanian water utility companies. The study and the recommendations will be used by the Water Regulatory Entity (WRE) as a situation analysis and also as inputs for the future preparation of standards and a model of customer services to be introduced in all Albanian water utility companies. The ultimate objective is to enhance the client orientation of the water utilities and enhance the quality of service provision.
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NEWSLETTER 2010
BRAZIL: Brasilia
Brazil's capital Brasilia and its Federal District are confronted with growing population and major changes in land use as well as extreme climatic conditions such as pronounced dry seasons. In this context the Project IWAS-Áqua DF (funded by the BMBF, German Ministry for Education and Research) intends to develop an integrated water resources management plan regarding natural boundary conditions (climate, land use, urban structure, etc.) water supply and wastewater treatment and distribution systems as well as management issues. As operator for water supply and wastewater treatment Sachsen Wasser and its parent company KWL are currently conducting a series of workshops for knowledge transfer and exchange regarding topics such as leak reduction, plant automation and remote control, as well as modern utility management tools.
EGYPT: HCWW
In June 2010 Sachsen Wasser has been contracted by the German Development Agency InWEnt to lay the basis for Competency Based Training in the Egyptian Water and Wastewater Sector. Currently there are no clear educational standards for the water and wastewater sector and vocational training for the sector does not follow standardized curricula. This represents a major difficulty in the comparison of potential staff, potential jobs and employers, as well as the comparison of the quality of training institutes. The main objective of the intervention by Sachsen Wasser therefore is the capacitation of HCWW staff in core areas such as:
- Development of competence standards in the water and wastewater sector.
- Methodology for the Development of Training, Modules and Curricula
- Methodological / Didactical Qualification of Teaching Staff
- Qualification of In-Plant Instructors / Multipliers in the Water Companies
In this context a series of trainings are developed and performed with relevant staff of HCWW, its Affiliated Companies (water and wastewater utilities) and the associated technical Secondary Schools (TSS). Sachsen Wasser is part of a major consortium which has been awarded a 3-year Technical Assistance Component to the Holding Company of Water and Wastewater (HCWW) in Egypt. The main objective of the project is to strengthen the organisational and human capacities of the HCWW in order to better manage complex capital investments projects such as the IWSP (Improved Water and Wastewater Services Programme) and to provide better services to the affiliated companies (ACs) The services provided by Sachsen Wasser will include among others overall financial support as well as overall O&M support to HCWW. This refers to the development of policies and procedures, change management and training of staff at the different levels of HCWW and 4 specific ACs.
GERMANY / RUSSIA: IFC
Sachsen Wasser has been host to a delegation of high-ranking representatives of Russian water utilities organized by the IFC (member of the World Bank Group). Focus was the institutional changes from centralized to marked oriented utility management experienced and mastered by Sachsen Wasser parent company KWL (public water and wastewater utility Leipzig), modern efficient technologies in water treatment and supply as well as wastewater treatment and disposal. Site visits of WWTP Rosental, KWL waterworks and the state-of-the-art steering and control room completed the program.
RUSSIA: Nabereshnye Chelny
The wastewater treatment plant Nabereshnye Chelny is a fully biological wastewater treatment plant with activated sludge and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. The WWTP was built in 1970 and has since then only undergone minor modifications. Sachsen Wasser was contracted to conduct a pre-feasibility study investigating the potential optimization potential and investment need. Specific issues / tasks under assessment were:
- Reduction of suspended solids in the effluent
- Potential automation of the existing WWTP
- Potential for sludge disposal
The findings and recommendations of the pre-feasibility study included the optimized operation of individual treatment steps, the extension of sludge thickening capacity, extension of sludge digestion and the introduction of increased automation at the WWTP. Subsequently the preparation of a more detailed feasibility study focusing on the improvement of the sludge thickening was awarded to Sachsen Wasser. Meanwhile Sachsen Wasser has then been contracted to design a new sludge thickener. Also negotiations regarding the introduction of an increased automation at the WWTP are currently under way.
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NEWSLETTER 2009
News from Montenegro, Turkey, Kuwait, Mongolia …
SW Project Update July 2009 (Newsletter No. 7—07/09) (PDF, 950 kB)
News from Egypt, Mexico, Afghanistan, Kenya/Zambia/Tanzania, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey …
SW Project Update January 2009 (Newsletter No. 6—01/09) (PDF, 1.2 MB)
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NEWSLETTER 2008
News from Palestinian Territories, Uzbekistan, Russian Federation, Egypt, Mexico, Unites Arab Emirates, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovakia, Romania, Afghanistan …
SW Project Update August 2008 (Newsletter No. 5—08/08) (PDF, 900 kB)