Good Practices in Urban Water Management
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Figure 14 Staff Productivity, 1998–2008 Reduction in staff per 1,000 connections during 1998–2008 4.6 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.2 4.1 4.0 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.5
4.5
4.5 4.4
4.4
4.4
4.4
various specializations; postgraduate diplomas in construction, environmental engineering, and water engineering; and Master of Science in Chemistry and other relevant disciplines.
4.3 4.2 4.0 3.9
3.9
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 No. of staff per 1,000 connections Source: National Water Supply and Drainage Board, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Training and Human Resource Development Human capacity and knowledge enhancements are important elements in the overall development philosophy for employees of NWSDB. It undertook 63 internal training programs for technical staff, 57 training programs for nontechnical staff, and over 30 programs for computer applications in 2009. These programs were distributed across the four quarters in a year, and program duration varied from 1 day to 3 days depending on the type of programs. The training programs were linked to actual ongoing projects, such as the pilot NRW reduction program of the twinning arrangement with JUSCO. Engineers in this pilot area gained experience through working with a utility like JUSCO, and eventually engaged in knowledge sharing. Some of the topics covered in the technical programs were construction and maintenance of groundwater intakes, maintenance of pipe systems, awareness on electronic devices in water treatment plants, tender evaluation and reporting, and leakage testing procedure after pipe-laying work. The nontechnical programs covered awareness of accounting standards, budgetary control and maintenance of ledgers, office organization and management, human resource development through proper disciplinary management, awareness of supplies and store procedures, and refresher courses on commercial activities and consumer relations. NWSDB also encourages its staff to undertake advanced courses at various government-recognized institutes and universities. These courses include master’s and postgraduate diplomas in business administration with
Initiatives for Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation NWSDB has contributed significantly toward improving health, economic conditions, social well-being, and the livelihood of the people of the GC area. Over the last few years, there has been a definitive shift in its overall approach from being “just a service provider” to focusing on providing sustainable water and sanitation facilities. A large number of initiatives have been taken by NWSDB to ensure adequate, sustainable, and safe water supply and sanitation facilities to all users. This section presents a brief overview of the recent initiatives taken by NWSDB in the water and sanitation sectors in the GC area for sustainable development, though technical support from international agencies.
Water Supply Improvement Initiatives NWSDB faces several challenges in supplying adequate water within the GC area, such as saline water intrusion into the river, continuous increases in water demand due to population growth, higher NRW due to old and dilapidated distribution networks, and a less efficient centralized system for the operation and maintenance of distribution networks. Hence, NWSDB has initiated projects and programs for a more integrated water supply system within the GC area. (i)
Kalu Ganga Water Supply Project (Stage II of Phase I). This project is technically supported and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). One of the objectives is to reduce NRW by eliminating illegal connections, reducing water losses, and anticipating future demand. One of the components is to replace 120 km of deteriorated pipes with new ones. In the initial phase, pipes within the 56 km network of the Colombo city distribution system with a diameter of less than or equal to 6 inches will be replaced. This will help in the hydraulic isolation of the network for the formation of DMAs and in the reduction of NRW. This project also covers water supply schemes for the Panadura and Kesbewa areas.