European Union Water Operators' Partnerships Programme
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The European Union Water Operators' Partnerships Programme, or EU-WOP, is funded by the European Union and managed by the GWOPA Secretariat at UN-Habitat.
Initiated in 2020, the first phase of the Programme supported 22 Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) projects across Africa, Asia and Latin America until the end of 2025.
With an additional €14 million in support from the European Union, the programme has been extended until 2030 through a second phase, or EU-WOP 2, to be implemented from 2026 to 2030.
EU-WOP 2
The second phase of the EU-WOP Programme (EU-WOP 2), launched in 2024, will run until 2030. The new phase is supporting the development and expansion of up to 30 Water Operators' Partnerships for four years.
EU-WOP 2 continues to support utilities in developing, anchoring and applying capacity for sustainable performance improvements. The new phase emphasises the potential of digitalization, investment linking and human rights frameworks to leverage capacity improvements for sustainable services.
Partnerships of EU-WOP 2
Partnerships under the Expanding Window build on projects supported during EU-WOP 1.
Africa
From Mindset to Maintenance: Resilient Water and Sanitation Operations
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Luapula Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LpWSC), Zambia
Supporting Partners (Mentors)
- Stadtentwässerung Dresden (SEDD), Germany
- Fernwasserversorgung Elbaue-Ostharz (FEO), Germany
- Zweckverband Wasser Abwasser Vogtland (ZWAV), Germany
Additional Partner
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit mbH (GIZ), Germany
Strengthening the technical and managerial capacities of ONAS for improved management of wastewater collection and treatment facilities
Primary Lever
Human Rights
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Office National de l’Assainissement du Sénégal (ONAS), Senegal
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE), Morocco
Dji Tiaman - Sabati
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
1) Société Malienne de Gestion de l'Eau Potable (SOMAGEP-SA), Mali
Supporting Partner
World Waternet (WWn), Netherlands
Additional Partner
Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE), Morocco
Connecting Communities through Sanitation and Water Operators’ Partnership with eThekwini-UMhlathuze-Bremen-Hamburg
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partners (Mentees)
- eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS), South Africa
- UMhlathuze Local Municipality (UM), South Africa
Supporting Partner (Mentors)
- HamburgWasser, Germany
- HanseWasser Bremen (hWB), Germany
Additional Partner
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Strengthening Capacity for Sustainable Water and Sanitation Services for Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation Company
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation Company (NWSC-Zambia), Zambia
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Uganda
Strengthening Hargeisa Water Agency's Capacity for Sustainable Water Management
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Hargeisa Water Agency (HWA), Somalia
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Uganda
Enhance Performance of KUWS through Inclusive and Customer‑Centred WASH Services
Primary Lever
Human Rights
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Karamoja Umbrella of Water and Sanitation (KUWS), Uganda
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Eastern Umbrella of Water and Sanitation (EUWS), Uganda
Additional Partner:
WaterAid, Sweden
Strengthening Bahir Dar’s Water Supply and Sewerage Services through Innovation
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Bahir Dar Water and Sewerage Services (BDWSS), Ethiopia
Supporting Partner (Mentors)
VEI, Netherlands
Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA), Ethiopia
Turning Insights into Lasting Water Solutions for Urban Populations (Water Inclusion through Systematic Evidence)
Primary Lever
Human Rights
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC), Sierra Leone
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Ghana Water (GWL), Ghana
Additional Partner:
VEI, Netherlands
Asia
Supporting OWSSB and WATCO in Upgrading Capacities in Wastewater and Fecal Sludge Management (SOW-WOP 2)
Primary Lever
Human Rights
Resident Partner (Mentees)
- Odisha Water Supply & Sewerage Board (OWSSB), India
- Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO), India
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Società Metropolitana Acque Torino S.p.A. (SMAT), Italy
Additional Partner
- WaterLinks Management Council, Inc. (WaterLinks), Philippines
- Hydroaid – Water for Development Management Institute (Hydroaid), Italy
Strengthening the capacity of Perumda PALD Banjarmasin to implement the Sanitation Strategy on Wastewater Services for Kota Banjarmasin
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Perusahaan Umum Daerah Pengelola Air Limbah Domestik Banjarmasin (Perumda PALD Banjarmasin), Indonesia
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK), Malaysia
Additional Partner
WaterLinks, Philippines
Sustainable Transition and Reliability through Embedded Asset Management for Dhaka’s Water Supply
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA), Bangladesh
Supporting Partner (Mentor):
VEI, Netherlands
Additional Partner
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Netherlands
Partnerships under the Emerging Window have not previously been funded under the EU-WOP Programme.
Africa
Partenariat pour la digitalisation et le renforcement des capacités opérationnelles de l'ONEA à l'horizon 2030
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Office National de l'Eau et de l'Assainissement (ONEA), Burkina Faso
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Office National de l'Électricité et de l'Eau Potable (ONEE), Maroc
Supporting Arba Minch in upgrading capacities in non-revenue water reduction, financial management and sanitation
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Arba Minch Town Water Supply and Sewerage Enterprise (AMTWSSE), Ethiopia
Supporting Partners (Mentors)
- Società Metropolitana Acque Torino S.p.A. (SMAT), Italy
- Acquedotto Pugliese S.p.A. (AQP), Italy
Additional Partners:
- Hydroaid – Water for Development Management Institute, Italy
- Arba Minch University, Arba Minch Water Technology Institute (AMU/AWTI), Ethiopia
Supporting the financial and operational sustainability of NAWEC water services
Primary Lever
Financial health and investment linkage
Resident Partner (Mentee)
National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), Gambia
Supporting Partners (Mentor)
VEi, Netherlands
Aqua-Link : Système intégré de télésurveillance continue de la production, distribution et qualité de l'eau potable dans le Grand Conakry
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Société des Eaux de Guinée (SEG), Guinea
Supporting Partners (Mentors)
World Waternet (WWn), Netherlands
Additional Partners:
Office National de l'Eau et de l'Assainissement (ONEA), Burkina Faso
Sanitation and faecal sludge management enhancement through Kenya–Malawi Sanitation and Water Operators' Partnership
Primary Lever
Financial health and investment linkage
Resident Partners (Mentees)
- Blantyre Water Board (BWB), Malawi
- Lilongwe Water Board (LWB), Malawi
Supporting Partners (Mentor)
- Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company (KIWASCO), Kenya
- Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company (NAWASSCO), Kenya
- VEi, Netherlands
Additional Partners:
- Hydroaid – Water for Development Management Institute, Italy
- Arba Minch University, Arba Minch Water Technology Institute (AMU/AWTI), Ethiopia
Strengthening sanitation service delivery in African utilities through digital public infrastructure
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partners (Mentees)
Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO), Nigeria
Supporting Partners (Mentor)
Orissa Water Supply and Sewerage Board (OWSSB), India
Additional Partners:
- African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA), Côte d'Ivoire
- Athena Infonomics Foundation, India
- IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (IHE Delft), Netherlands
GOV4WATER – Governing with data, ensuring water rights: a Senegal–Italy peer-to-peer partnership for digital and rights-based rural water governance
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Office des Forages Ruraux (OFOR), Senegal
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Metropolitana Milanese SpA (MM), Italy
Additional Partners
Fondazione ACRA ETS (ACRA), Italy
Comune di Milano – Municipality of Milan, Italy
Département Ziguinchor – Conseil Départemental de Ziguinchor, Senegal
Strengthening Mulonga's water security through WOP collaboration with Tampere and Hamburg
Primary Lever
Financial health and investment linkage
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Mulonga Water Supply and Sanitation (MWSC), Zambia
Supporting Partners (Mentors)
- Hamburg Wasser (Hamburger Wasserwerke GmbH and Hamburger Stadtentwässerung AöR)
- Tampereen Vesi (TV), Finland
Additional Partners
- Finnish Water Forum (FWF), Finland
- Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany
Asia
Digitalization of sanitation operations and performances for system-wide improvement in Dhulikhel and Lakshmipur
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partners (Mentees)
- Lakshmipur Pourashava Municipality, Bangladesh
- Dhulikhel Municipality, Nepal
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK), Malaysia
Additional Partner
Global Water and Sanitation Center (GWSC), Thailand
Empowering PNP Champassak as the southern water utility hub of Lao PDR
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Provincial Water Supply Enterprise of Champassak Province (PNP CMP), Lao PDR
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
World Waternet (WWn), Netherlands
Water Operators Partnership between AdP Internacional, WASA Lahore, PMDFC, WATSAN Chiniot, WATSAN Kasur and WATSAN Sadiqabad
Primary Lever
Financial health and investment linkage
Resident Partners (Mentees)
- Water and Sanitation Company, Chiniot (WATSAN Chiniot), Pakistan
- Water and Sanitation Company, Kasur (WATSAN Kasur), Pakistan
- Water and Sanitation Company, Sadiqabad (WATSAN Sadiqabad), Pakistan
Supporting Partners (Mentors)
- Water and Sanitation Agency, Lahore (WASA-L), Pakistan
- Águas de Portugal Internacional – Serviços Ambientais SA (AdP Internacional), Portugal
Additional Partner
Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company, Punjab (PMDFC), Pakistan
Latin America and the Caribbean
EU-WOP Resilient Sucre: integral management of the urban water cycle (yaku masis)
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Empresa Local de Agua Potable y Alcantarrillado de Sucre (ELAPAS), Bolivia
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Navarra de Infraestructuras Locales S.A (NILSA), Spain
Additional Partners
- Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Spain
- National Association of Drinking Water And Sewage Service Companies of Bolivia (ANESAPA), Bolivia
- Spanish Association of Urban Water (DAQUAS), Spain
Fortalecimiento de Capacidades Comunitarias para la Gestión Sostenible del Agua en el Medio Rural y Peri Urbano de Siguatepeque, Honduras 2026–2027
Primary Lever
Human rights
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Unidad Municipal Desconcentrada "Aguas de Siguatepeque" (ADS), Honduras
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Asociación de Desarrollo Comunitario Rural (ADECOR), Guatemala
Additional Partner
Federación Nacional de Cooperativas de Servicios Sanitarios (FESAN), Chile
Strengthening operational and management capacities of two water and sanitation operators in El Niño-prone areas of the north of Peru, to enhance the service providers' wastewater treatment and sanitation processes with sustainable WOP-Peru
Primary Lever
Human rights
Resident Partners (Mentees)
- Empresa Prestadora de Servicios de Saneamiento Grau Sociedad Anónima, Piura (EPSA Grau), Peru
- Unidad Ejecutora de Servicios de Saneamiento 002, Tumbes (Agua Tumbes), Peru
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Waterschap Noorderzijlvest (WNZV), Netherlands
Additional Partners
- Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Netherlands
- Embassy of Peru to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Netherlands
- Organismo Técnico de la Administración de los Servicios de Saneamiento (OTASS Peru), Peru
EMCALI Digital and Resilient – Integrated monitoring and smart treatment system based on data analytics to ensure water safety
Primary Lever
Digitalization
Resident Partner (Mentee)
Empresas Municipales de Cali E.I.C.E. E.S.P. (EMCALI), Colombia
Supporting Partner (Mentor)
Canal de Isabel II, Spain
Additional Partner
European Benchmarking Co-operation Foundation (EBC), Netherlands
Discover the EU-WOP 1 Projects
Why EU-WOP?
2.1 billion people cannot count on safe, clean water, available on premises whenever they need it, and 3.5 billion people lack sanitation systems that protect them from disease. Effective local water and sanitation service providers are key to ensuring this situation improves. Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) have a proven track record of helping these service providers improve their operations, increase their efficiency and effectiveness, and make local progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6.
About the Programme
WOPs are peer support arrangements between two or more water operators, carried out on a not-for-profit basis. Through mentorship, WOPs aim to progressively strengthen beneficiary utilities’ capacity and performance on management, financial and technical levels to implement operational and organizational changes that lead to better and more sustainable services. Rather than substituting capacity, WOPs help local utility staff to make lasting improvements that continue well beyond the life of the partnership.
The EU-WOP Programme selects, funds and supports Water Operators' Partnerships projects. In selected partnerships identified through a competitive call for proposals, utility peers work together to improve their capacity and performance towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Each WOP project receives approximately €100,000 per year to engage in dedicated co-learning and capacity development activities.
Progress through Partnership: Key Achievements of EU-WOP Phase 1
Further Reading
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Aqua Publica Europea: Water Operator Partnerships and solidartity. A global effort to realise the human right to water and sanitation (English)
