As a prelude to the 84th meeting of the Scientific and Technical Council (STC), the African Water Association organized, on Thursday 23 July 2020, a panel discussion with some of its Affiliate Members, mainly innovating technology providers in the WASH sector. The panel was under the theme " Which innovative solutions for African water and sanitation utilities in a period of acute pandemic crisis?". Its objective was to introduce water and sanitation utilities, members AfWA, to the new technologies and innovative solutions developed by the sector's industrials to help them address COVID-19 challenges.

Under the moderation of Dr Papa Samba Diop, President of the STC, in front of a hundred participants from about 30 water and sanitation utilities, and a few participants who are not yet AfWA’s members, four industrials took turns at the microphone to present innovative solutions.

Mr. Fabrice PELLOTE, sales manager at Evoqua Water Technologies, a company known for its disinfection equipment, manufactured and marketed worldwide and particularly in Africa, presented chlorine gas injection equipment enabling water to be disinfected in both small and large drinking water plants.

Mr. GUNTER MATERLOCK, international sales manager at PPU Umwelttechnik from Germany, a company specialized in the production and marketing of wastewater treatment products, talked about Modular Containerized Waste Treatment.

Mr. Peter WEBER, Managing Director of KSB Pumps & Valves (pty) LTD. South Africa, and Vice President for Sub-Saharan African Region, presented the reliable and highly efficient centrifugal pumps for water and sewage applications, including intelligent digital monitoring and variable speed drives.

Mr. ELIAS ASSAF, Sales Manager at SN SOTICI, a Côte d’Ivoire based company showed how important is the feed certificates for PVC PRESSURE and HDPE pipes and the contribution of HDPE DIAM 25 to 800 mm in PN 20 and PN 25.

At the end of the conferences, many participants were delighted with this panel which showed to be a good opportunity for them to discover new solutions to improve their operations.