In a significant step towards enhancing its water utility operations, the Samoa Water Authority (SWA) has embarked on a learning journey with Maynilad, one of the leading water service providers in the Philippines. The SWA participated in a Water Operators Partnership (WOP) supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) program titled “Water Utility Operations- Laboratory Management System Training” from March 17 to 22, 2024, at the Maynilad Water Lab and other facilities.
The program was designed to allow SWA to learn from Maynilad Water Lab’s expertise and best practices. The SWA delegation, including their CEO, Fuimaono Dominic Schwalger; Pafuti Miller, an Environmental Scientist; Sharon Suia Lesa, an Engineer specializing in Wastewater; and Tauataataomalua Soteria Matatia, a Senior Technician for Water Quality and monitoring, engaged in comprehensive discussions and training sessions.
The training covered various topics, including General Water Quality Training, Method Verification and Validation for Microbiological Analysis, Quality Control for Microbiological Analysis, and Estimation of Measurement of Uncertainty according to ISO 19036: 2019.
This initiative underscores SWA’s commitment to improving its water utility operations and services by learning from the best in the industry. The knowledge and skills acquired from Maynilad’s expertise are expected to significantly enhance SWA’s laboratory management system and overall service delivery. This collaboration is a testament to SWA’s continuous learning and improvement.