The first phase will focus on reducing energy consumption, increasing the use of renewable energy and developing a guideline for action, including for the renovation of the wastewater and water drainage network in Comrat.

For the EcoService2022 partners, the exchange of experiences provided important insights into the future direction of the circular economy in Ukraine and showed the delegation that the Bergisches Land Waste Management Association can provide support in harmonising with EU standards in waste legislation.

Improving compost production in Cërrik and separating, collecting and processing recyclable materials in the tourist coastal town of Sarandë - different starting situations and challenges that Lübeck's waste management companies are happy to tackle together with their partners.

Over two half days on 1 and 2 February 2024, teams from Fernwasserversorgung Elbaue-Ostharz, Zweckverband Wasser und Abwasser Vogtland and Stadtentwässerung Dresden took the opportunity to learn more about tips and tricks as well as potential pitfalls in everyday working life with their Zambian colleagues.

In South Africa, the human right to drinking water has a slightly different meaning than the one we know in Germany. Here, needy households are entitled to six cubic metres of water per month free of charge. This presents the utility with the challenge of refinancing the maintenance of the facilities.

Eike Riediger works as a wastewater process controller at the Oldenburgisch-Ostfriesischer Wasserverband (OOWV). As part of the partnership with the South African metropolitan municipality of Buffalo City (BCMM), he visited the East Bank wastewater treatment plant there at the end of 2023 as part of a delegation and reports on his experiences.

Uwe Raback, engineer for geodata management, is responsible of geographic information systems (GIS) in the partnership on behalf of Gelsenwasser. The example of the use of GIS at Lukanga shows that solutions from the German context cannot be transferred 1:1. Nevertheless, the partners work together to develop customized solutions.

The utility platform pilot phase is due to end by 30 June 2024. A good reason to reflect on what has been achieved and look ahead to what comes next. Participating utilities are cordially invited!