Public water agency of the year

 

A state-owned body established in 2005 to collect and treat wastewater in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. It was originally part of the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, becoming independent in 2009.

 

 

ADSSC’s five-year, AED23 billion ($6.26 billion) strategic spending plan reached its apogee in 2011, ushering in improvements to treatment capacity and network quality, and achieving a reduction in energy usage through the switch to a main gravity-driven trunk sewer. The ultra-modern sewerage network means that despite the emirate’s huge demographic challenges, the system in its current form will be capable of handling wastewater flows for the best part of a century.

 

 

* ADSSC extended its successful working relationship with the private sector in 2011, with the commissioning of two major wastewater treatment BOTs in Abu Dhabi city and Al Ain. On the operations and maintenance side, three contracts were awarded in the last year, covering almost the entire publicly owned network. A switch to targeted performance-based contracts rewards excellent performance while ensuring value for money for the client.

 

* Spending on the massive Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme, which reached its height in 2011 with the award of three of the six contracts involved, will improve performance in the wastewater collection network. The switch to a deeptunnel gravity-driven system has already allowed the decommissioning of 36 major pumping stations, dramatically reducing costs and energy usage by ADSSC.

 

* While sewage treatment levels are already at 100% in Abu Dhabi, the demand for irrigated water has not succeeded in matching the rise in treated effluent flows as a result of a rising population. ADSSC is addressing this by identifying new industrial and commercial customers for treated sewage effluent, potentially bringing in new high-value sources of revenue, and reducing run-off into the marine environment.

 

 

A state-owned corporation established in Korea in 1967 to control water supply from dams and rivers, and manage the bulk supply of water to local governments and industries. It has also taken over the operation of some local water and wastewater treatment plants through a municipal concession model.

 

 

A massive investment into K-Water’s extensive asset base bore fruit in 2011, as huge improvements in river water quality and water treatment capacity led to a vastly improved surface water supply. The further expansion of its concessions business also put the corporation in a sound financial position to pursue its ambitious international aspirations.

 

 

* The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, completed in 2011, is a $20 billion mega-plan which saw the dredging of nearly 1,000km of the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan Rivers, along with dambuilding, wetland restoration and riverbank reinforcement. The improved flow through the country’s river system frees up more water for supply to towns and cities, and reduces the risk of devastating floods.

 

* The construction of the world’s largest tidal power plant significantly reduces the energy use associated with the production of potable water in Korea. The Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station cost a total of $500 million over its 6-year construction period, and generates 254MW of clean energy – the equivalent of a 315,000m3 a year reduction in CO2 emissions.

 

* Five water treatment plants were brought up to five-star level under the American Water Works Association certification scheme in 2011, while three new WTPs were constructed. Nine of the 12 water districts in the country have now been upgraded under the $1.5 billion scheme.

 

 

A government-owned joint stock company providing water and wastewater services in Saudi Arabia.

 

 

In 2011, NWC invested heavily in its asset base, carrying out work on a number of significant projects to improve wastewater services to needy areas of the country. It also explored new energy-saving technologies, while improving customer service and moving closer to its goal of financial selfsufficiency.

 

 

* At the end of 2011, the first households were connected to the massive Jeddah wastewater network – a hugely ambitious sewage collection, transmission and treatment project that was one of a total of 66 wastewater projects commissioned in the Kingdom in 2011. NWC invested SAR4.3 billion ($1.2 billion) in wastewater infrastructure alone last year.

 

* The company had its most successful year to date in terms of signing contracts to sell treated sewage effluent. It now holds long-term contracts worth more than SAR4 billion ($1 billion), and the income means NWC’s goal of financial self-sufficiency is closer than ever, paving the way for a longplanned privatisation of the wastewater business.

 

* On the water supply side, NWC made its first tentative steps towards tariff reform – a key stumbling block to growth in a country where water is retailed out at the equivalent of just $0.03/m3. NWC’s vision for reform demonstrates that it is not only prepared to spend money up front, but that it is fully engaged in creating a sustainable future for the Saudi Arabian water sector.

 

 

The government-owned utility responsible for managing water and wastewater services for around 1.5 million people in the state of South Australia.

 

 

The last year has seen SA Water reap the benefits of a large-scale targeted capital spending spree. Combined with an effective anti-wastage campaign, and an overhaul in operating efficiencies – with the help of a new private partner – SA Water has turned around its water usage figures at a time when the state is recovering from a prolonged and serious drought.

 

 

* Water from the 300,000m3/d Adelaide desalination plant was delivered for the first time to the state capital in 2011. SA Water’s quick-fire decision to double the plant’s capacity means that it will now supply enough water to provide half the city’s potable water requirements, reducing the demand for water from the overstretched Murray River.

 

* SA Water also invested heavily in infrastructure and operations last year. Work started on a transmission project to allow two previously separate regions of Adelaide to co-ordinate water supply. At the same time, water recycling plans were extended through a scheme to supply 8,000 homes with reused water. SA Water also strengthened its operations and management ability through judicious engagement with the private sector.

 

* 2011 saw the culmination of SA Water’s outreach efforts in drought water management, community education and enforcement that led to a reduction in water use of around 25% over an eight-year period. The initiative helped reinforce the public’s awareness that a sustainable reduction in water consumption is a vital tool in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.