Leading Utilities of the World welcomed three new members into the network at Global Water Summit 2024. Representing the gold standard in utility innovation and performance, Leading Utilities is now comprised of 73 members.

The three new member utilities are:

• Sabesp, Brazil (represented by CEO André Salcedo)

• Shenzhen Water & Environment Group, China (represented by President Limin Gong)

• SmVaK, Czech Republic (represented by Country Manager Ignacio Parrado)

With the addition of these, Leading Utilities of the World now represents more than 250 million customers worldwide. Furthermore, Shenzhen Water & Environment Group are the group’s first member from China whilst the addition of Sabesp means that Leading Utilities has members on all continents for the first time.

On becoming a Leading Utilities member, Mr Salcedo said:

“Joining the Leading Utilities of the World is a significant milestone for SABESP, underscoring our leadership and commitment to excellence in utility management. Being part of this elite network not only reflects our operational standards, which align with those of the largest international corporations, but also positions us as a reference in the sector.

“As the only member from Latin America in this group of innovative companies that deliver outstanding services, we are excited to exchange valuable experiences. This affiliation promotes our continuous path toward innovation, helping us fulfill our primary goal of 'transforming lives.”

Meanwhile, Mr Gong, said:

“It was an exciting chance for us to attend this great event. We feel honoured to become the new member of LUOW, and took this opportunity meeting various utilities, developers, technology companies and financial institutions from different countries around the world. We exchanged views and ideas, shared experiences and financing models of practical project execution, and explored cooperation opportunities.

“In a word, it is an excellent and important conference for the global water industry, providing extraordinary networking opportunities and amazing arrangement for water related stakeholders.”

Finally, Mr Parrado had the following to say:

“For SmVaK, being the first Czech utility to become a member of the Leading Utilities of the World network represents a major achievement and testifies the performance of the company and its commitment with the economic, environmental, and social sustainability.

“Being part of this group of utilities that stand out for their excellence is a recognition of the work done to date and a way to encourage us to improve ourselves every day through hard work and collaboration with other members.”

Further to the new additions, there were membership renewals for longstanding members San Antonio Water System (USA), Águas do Porto (Portugal) and Water Supplies Department (Hong Kong). They were represented by, respectively, Robert Puente (Managing Director), Ruben Fernandes (Executive Board Director) and Alfred Wong (Deputy Director).

With the ongoing support of its foundation partner Jacobs, as well as corporate member Grundfos, Leading Utilities will next be meeting in person at Singapore International Water Week, taking place from 18th to 22nd June 2024.

Find out more about the Leading Utilities of the World Network and its activities at www.leadingutilities.org.