A delegation of water companies and reps from the Israeli Water Authority and the Standards Institute of Israel plans to travel to the Philippines – ahead of IWA’s Water Loss 2012 conference in Manila on February 26-29. The aim of their visit is to promote a better understanding of water loss reduction and smart water management – fields in which Israeli technologies lead. During their visit, company representatives will also hold meetings with the participants of the International Water Association (IWA) forum, after which they will continue on to Vietnam, bringing with them their expertise in water related issues.
According to Oded Distel of Israel NewTech, The world’s ever-changing climate has resulted in water becoming an even more highly prized commodity, yet a significant amount of this precious resource is lost via “pipe leakage”. The average amount of water lost in this way in Europe is 25%, and in many other countries the average rises to 30%-40% and more. Israel is a world leader when it comes to leakage reduction, with an average loss of only 12%. Armed with this major advantage, Israeli water companies hope to market their leakage reduction solutions, and capitalize on their knowledge in the fields of leakage reduction standardization and smart water management.
Gilad Peled, of The Israel Export Institute, emphasizes that the importance in leakage reduction is two-fold: One, it helps reduce the amount of precious water lost, and secondly it prevents excessive energy consumption. According to Mr. Peled, water utilities are the world’s biggest energy consumers, with any excess water lost during distribution using up in turn more electricity – wasting both water and energy. Additionally, Israeli companies (such as Miya and Takadu) offer technologies which enable to locate leaks before they burst, presenting a much more preventative, cost-effective approach to infrastructure management.
In the Philippines, a country with a population of close to 100 million, water infrastructure must be created from scratch. Even in the few places that have some infrastructure it needs to be significantly improved in order to prevent water loss. The delegation of Israeli companies will arrive ahead of the conference in order to showcase their capabilities in front of Manila’s 2 major water companies – Maynilad and Manila Water. The country’s capital area is home to some 20 million people, all of whom rely on a sole water reservoir. “In other words, whenever a malfunction occurs, the entire population in the area is left without water” explains Ophir Gore, Israel Economic attaché in the Philippines.
Providing solutions to Manila’s two water companies is a perfect opportunity for Israel to make its mark in this developing Asian country at a time when, according to Mr. Gore, the Philippine government has a multi-billion dollar plan in place for building infrastructures, water based included, through privatization (PPP – Public Private Partnership).
During the event, Hezi Belik, Chief Engineer of Water Management at the Israeli Water Authority, will speak on managing urban water systems, and Dr. Yaron Ben Ari, Water Technology Program Manager at The Israeli Standards Institute will give a talk on leakage reduction standardization. Seven water companies will present their comprehensive leakage reduction solutions including Takadu, which will present their knowledge on leakage detection, ARI and Bermad will talk about pressure control, Curapipe about efficient leak repairing solutions, EZPack about their solutions to water storage and distribution, and Plasson will present its leakage reduction products.
The delegation’s meetings in Manila will run parallel to the IWA’s conference on water loss. The conference attracts specialists and water companies from around the globe, providing Israeli companies with an essential platform for forging international ties. The Foreign Trade Administration of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor is responsible for coordinating the meetings, via economic attachés from around the world, in cooperation with The Israel Export Institute.
Following the conference in Manila, the Israeli delegation will continue on to Vietnam, where they will participate in business seminars with WASECO and SAWACO, Water Supply and Sewerage corporations from capital city Ho Chi Minh, the largest city in the country. They will then visit the industrial province of Dong Nai.
According to Tzafrir Asaf, the economic attaché in Vietnam, despite the multitude of water sources within the country, Vietnam suffers from serious water management problem. These include maintaining water quality and managing efficient distribution to an increasing population. A number of Israeli companies are already active in Vietnam, and the Israeli delegation’s visit is an excellent opportunity to learn more about potential new business ventures in the area.
Article appearing courtesy Israel NewTech.
