Demand for water is rising faster than supply in many African cities and river basins, while pollution, siltation and erratic rainfall erode the quality of what remains. Utilities lose a large share of treated water through leaks and illegal connections, and communities downstream of poorly managed catchments bear the cost. Managers who understand both the resource and the infrastructure are in short supply.

This programme follows the path water takes, from source to tap to treated discharge. Participants begin with hydrology, water balances and the principles of integrated water resources management, then examine allocation, permitting and conflict resolution among competing users. The middle days focus on service delivery: demand forecasting, treatment and distribution options, non-revenue water, tariffs and operation and maintenance. The closing sessions address sanitation, wastewater reuse, water quality monitoring and resilience to floods and drought.

Teaching combines short technical briefings with calculation workshops, mapping exercises and a stakeholder role play. Each participant finishes with a draft sustainability plan for a water system they know, built using templates provided during the sessions.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the components of the water cycle and compile a simple water balance for a catchment or supply zone.
• Apply integrated water resources management principles to allocation and basin planning.
• Assess water demand and select supply options using technical, financial and environmental criteria.
• Quantify non-revenue water and design a leakage and loss reduction programme.
• Develop a water safety plan covering source, treatment and distribution risks.
• Evaluate sanitation, wastewater reuse and rainwater harvesting options for different settings.
• Plan for drought, flood and climate risk in water infrastructure decisions.

The programme suits professionals who plan, run or fund water services and resource management, including:

• Water utility engineers, operations managers and commercial managers
• County and municipal water and sanitation officers
• Water resource authority and basin committee staff
• WASH programme managers in NGOs and humanitarian agencies
• Irrigation, agriculture and environment officers
• Environmental and social safeguards specialists
• Development partner and donor programme officers
• Consultants preparing water sector studies and proposals

Participants leave with practical tools they can use straight away:

• A completed water balance worksheet adaptable to their own catchment or scheme.
• A prioritised list of loss reduction measures with estimated payback.
• A draft water safety plan outline with a risk register.
• A stakeholder map and engagement approach for allocation disputes.
• A set of sustainability indicators for monitoring a water system.
• A short improvement plan for a service area of their choice.

Learning is applied and centred on real water problems. Expect:

• Concise technical briefings from practitioners in water and sanitation
• Calculation workshops using sample catchment, metering and utility data
• Map-based exercises on source protection and service areas
• A stakeholder role play on competing water demands
• Peer review of each participant's improvement plan

On completing the sessions and exercises, each participant receives a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy.