The colleagues of the Fernwasserversorgung Elbaue Ostharz (FEO), Matthias Krüger and Oliver Drümmer, intensively worked on securing the water quality and the water supply, while the colleague of the Zweckverband Wasser Abwasser Vogtland (ZWAV), Frank Trommer, provided information and assistance for securing the water network.
 

 
From Stadtentwässerung Dresden GmbH, Monika Hentze travelled to the remote project area to support the launch of the first, newly built wastewater treatment plant in the provincial capital of Mansa in the wastewater treatment working group. Furthermore, Torsten Dörnbach, also from Stadtentwässerung Dresden GmbH, accompanied the small delegation as technical project manager. He also acted as a link to stakeholders such as UN-Habitat/GWOPA and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) as implementing organisation of the Utility Platform with further bilateral development cooperation projects in Zambia

The Zambian and German partners are very motivated and want to work together on the numerous tasks in the next two years and apply newly acquired knowledge. The main goal of the partnership is the training and optimization of operation and maintenance of existing facilities in the field of drinking water and wastewater. Peer-to-peer exchanges in the field of business management including personnel requirement, commercial matters as well as public relations are also planned. The activities will be implemented through further work assignments on site in Zambia as well as return visits to Saxony and accompanying virtual meetings.

 
The Zambian colleagues received their project partners from Saxony very warmly and trustingly - a great reward for the work-intensive journey! It will be a great and sustainable project!

The utility partnership is part of the EU-WOP Programme, which is funded by the European Union and managed by the UN-Habitat led Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA). The programme leverages the demonstrated capacity of utilities to help one another reach the SDGs.