Third ACWUA Best Practice Conference: “Non-Revenue Water in the Arab Region: Solutions for Drinking Water Loss Reduction” in Rabat, Morocco

The Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA) held its third Best Practice Conference at the Conference Centre of the National Moroccan Water Supplier ONEP-IEA on 20-21 January 2010. This Conference was coorganized by ACWUA (supported by the German Technical Cooperation – GTZ and the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste - DWA) and ONEP in cooperation with the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), as their third regional activity on “Capacity Development for Water Efficiency”. The conference was under the theme: “Non-Revenue Water: Solutions for Drinking Water Loss Reduction” and it brought together almost 300 water experts from the Arab region and the world, especially managers from major water operators and water suppliers in the region. The conference documented the situation in different cities in the region and provided up-to-date information and practical examples through numerous case studies, papers and 30 presentations, on the following topics: rehabilitation methods, company strategies as well as monitoring and financial strategies to reduce water losses and customer relations management. The conference aimed at contributing to a better management and efficiency of water networks in Arab countries, and helping to improve the supply situation for the population.