On December 18, the session of the Lviv City Council approved a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Lviv City Council, the WaterWorX consortium, the Ukrvodokanalecology Association, and the Lviv Municipal Utility Company “Lvivvodokanal.”

The Memorandum provides for the establishment in Lviv of the National Training Center for Ukraine’s Water Supply and Sewerage Sector, funded by the Government of the Netherlands — approximately €500,000. The Center will be created following the model of water academies that have existed in European countries for decades.

As explained by Lvivvodokanal, Ukraine’s water supply and sewerage sector is currently operating under the conditions of war, energy risks, and worn-out infrastructure. However, there is another problem that is discussed less often — human resources. That is why it is crucial for sector employees to have access to modern knowledge, practical solutions, and European experience.

“For example, in the Netherlands such water academies have existed for decades. They provide training ‘from practitioners — for practitioners,’ and, most importantly, they build professional communities that continue exchanging experience even after the courses end. This is why the idea of creating such a training center also emerged within our water sector. This initiative was supported at the national, municipal, and international levels. And Lviv, with its real practical experience in the water sector and international cooperation, became a logical place to launch this project,” Lvivvodokanal explains.

The need to establish a water academy is also driven by the fact that water utility specialists from all over Ukraine should have a permanent place for professional development, exchange of practical experience, and training in modern technologies for managing water infrastructure. This is not about one-off trainings, but about systematic workforce development, on which the reliability of water supply and wastewater services directly depends.

Accordingly, in 2026 the plan предусматриває preparation of premises, development of infrastructure, and the launch of a train-the-trainer program. In 2027, pilot educational programs will begin, followed by the transition to the Center’s full-scale operation. Lvivvodokanal will be one of the key partners: it will share practical experience, engage its specialists as trainers, and provide facilities for training purposes.

Training will be delivered by Ukrainian and international experts: practitioners from water utilities, engineers, technologists, managers, as well as specialists from European water academies. Some trainers will undergo special preparation under the train-the-trainer program to pass on knowledge to colleagues across the country.

“Lvivvodokanal will become one of the key partners of the academy: it will provide expert practitioners as trainers, its facilities as training sites, and will also participate in shaping training programs based on real operational challenges. And Lviv can become Ukraine’s educational water hub, working for the resilience of the sector and the recovery of our country,” the municipal utility company notes.

Photos: interior of the Water Academy in Utrecht (Water Academy Utrecht); open training grounds of the Brabant Water training center (Eindhoven, the Netherlands); training and education building of Brabant Water in Eindhoven (the Netherlands).