NEWSLETTER | Summer 2022
In our Summer 2022 newsletter, we welcome our new member the public water operator of Warsaw joined Aqua Publica as a new member, you will find the summary report from the public conference on water scarcity and drought, the last updates on Water Erasmus exchanges and our last contributions to the policy debate.
| NEW MEMBERS
The public water operator of Warsaw joins Aqua Publica as a new member
We are delighted to announce that the Warsaw Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company (MPWiK) has joined our association as a new member. MPWiK is the largest water and sewage company in Poland. The utility has been in charge of the drinking water supply and wastewater treatment of the city of Warsaw and surrounding municipalities for over 135 years. Every day, the utility supplies on average over 350 million litres of drinking water to the over 2.5 million inhabitants. MPWiK is realising an ambitious investment plan to ensure high-quality standards for drinking water and sanitation services, with a strong commitment to innovation, environmental sustainability and engagement with the local community.
| SPOTLIGHT
APE Seminar: "Water scarcity and drought: from crisis management to long term adaptation" | 5 July, Seville
More than 100 persons attended – in person or from remote - the seminar “WATER SCARCITY AND DROUGHT: from crisis management to long term adaptation”, which was held in Seville on 5 July. Co-organised by Aqua Publica, together with its members AEOPAS (Spanish association of public operators) and EMASESA (Seville’s water operator), the seminar aimed to discuss the conditions for long-term adaptation to water scarcity in the context of climate change. Representatives from public water utilities, NGOs, local and European institutions, as well as academics contributed to pinpointing the main conditions and actions that are needed for our societies to cope with the increasing water stress while avoiding potential conflicts among users.
The Public Water Operator of Veneto Region supports the Ukrainian water sector
Viveracqua (Veneto Region, Italy), a member of Aqua Publica Europea, responded to the request for support from the Ukrainian water sector with a financial donation to the Association of Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprises "Ukrvodokanalekologiya": a concrete to help our Ukrainian colleagues keep running essential water services in a dramatic situation.
This solidarity action is just one of the numerous initiatives taken by public water operators to support refugees and Ukrainian people in war zones.
| WATER ERASMUS
New Water Erasmus exchanges - Fostering mutual learning amongst APE members
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WATER SECURITY: How to protect critical infrastructure from external threats – 07 April 2022
Aqua Publica Europea and Aguas de Gaia (the public water operator from Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal) organised a Technical Workshop on Water Security on 7 April 2022. Thanks to contributions from representatives of water utilities, European Institutions and from national Intelligence services, the workshop provided both a conceptual framework and concrete examples about increasing the security of water services against malicious attacks
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DIVING IN: The role of public water operators in ensuring clean bathing waters – 12 May 2022
On 12 May 2022, Aqua Publica Europea and BCASA (the public water operator from Barcelona) co-organised the Technical Workshop DIVING IN: The role of public water operators in ensuring clean bathing waters. With the contribution of experts from APE members and the participation of a representative from the European Commission, the participants had the opportunity to discuss technological solutions and governance conditions to ensure a high quality of bathing waters.
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Water operators on the way to digitalization: data management strategy – 29 April 2022
WATER ERASMUS on-demand exchange on data management strategy took place on 29 April 2022between Eau de Paris (water operator of Paris), SWDE (the water operator of Wallonia region) and SMAT (water operator of Turin, Italy). Participants had the chance to exchange in-depth on their respective data management strategies. Topics of exchange included: how to ensure the quality of data; transforming data in assets and the organisational change it implies; the role of a data warehouse and how to ensure consistency between data from different software.
| CONTRIBUTING TO POLICY DEBATE
📌 On 9 May, on the occasion of the inauguration of the new main office of the Global Water Operators Partnership Alliance in Bonn, Aqua Publica participated in a round-table on "Water, Sanitation and Urbanization: Global Cooperation for Local Action to Implement Our Common Agenda”, chaired by the UN-Habitat Executive Director, Ms Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
📌On 13 June, on the occasion of the ‘Regional Workshop on Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Aqua Publica shared its very positive views on the recently published policy briefing on “Making water and sanitation affordable for all”.
📌 On 15 June, Aqua Publica gave a presentation on the role of the public sector in water-related investment at the 33rd Congress of the International Centre of Research and Information on the Public, Social and Cooperative Economy (CIRIEC), which saw the participation of renowned international academics, including Paul Krugman and Mariana Mazzucato.
