On 8 November 2021, Aqua Publica Europea’s annual General Meeting gathered members at the historic location of Maison de la Poste in Brussels and online to elect a new Management Board that will steer discussions and represent the association for the period 2021-2024. It was also the opportunity to unanimously adopt the association’s new Strategy to guide joint work for the upcoming years.

A renewed Management Board to take on new challenges

The members of Aqua Publica Europea elected their Board members (see the complete list here) for a three-year mandate. 

Mr. Bernard Van Nuffel, President of VIVAQUA, Brussels' public water operator, was re-elected as President of the Association. 

After studying architecture, Mr Van Nuffel began his career as a civil servant in Brussels’ administrations in 1997. He was elected Deputy-Mayor in charge of infrastructures, water policy and climate of Jette, one of the municipalities of the Brussels Region in 2018, and appointed President of VIVAQUA in 2019. He has been President of Aqua Publica Europea since 2020.

Mr. Alessandro Di Martino, President of AMAP-Palermo (Palermo, Italy) was appointed Vice-President. 

Mr Di Martino is a Civil and Environmental Engineer and the President of AMAP S.p.A, the public company operating in the sector of the integrated water service and supply, in the Metropolitan area of Palermo and 43 municipalities. He has considerable professional experience in private and public utilities, management of local governments and public administrations.

Members warmly thanked outgoing Vice-President Paolo Romano for his valuable contributions to the work of the association over the past years. 

A growing community of public operators 

The association has widened its membership by welcoming two new members which represent the diversity of the association: 

• Vienna Wasser, the public water operator of the Austrian capital, manages the entire water cycle for the 1.9 million inhabitants and is one of the oldest public water utility in Europe (website)
• Aguas Municipales de Javea, serves the Spanish city of Javea (Alicante province) and manages (website)