SHAH ALAM - National sewerage company Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) has received the Distinction Award at the 2023 Global Water Awards, in the Public Water Agency of the Year category.
This was after it was shortlisted with three other companies namely, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office from Philippines, Mekorot, the national water company of Israel and Budapest WaterWorks from Hungary.
IWK’s chief executive officer Narendran Maniam who received the prestigious award on Tuesday evening in Berlin, said it was a momentous occasion for IWK.
"We are thrilled to receive the award and stand alongside the world’s most respected water agencies.
"We would like to thank the Finance Minister, the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister, National Water Services Commission (Span), IWK board members, all our stakeholders and customers, but most notably to all IWK staff for their unwavering support and trust in all our sustainability efforts," he said.
He added that IWK will continue to strive for excellence, especially in the advancements and efforts towards environmental conservation in line with Malaysia’s commitment to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
IWK’s dedication to operational efficiency was evident in its 97 per cent effluent compliance rate across over 7,000 treatment plants.
The company has also improved on collection efficiency and financial performance to drive effectiveness of business operations.
For the betterment of the environment, IWK has started implementing green initiatives such as water reclamation efforts, biogas energy generation, organic fertiliser production from sludge, and solar energy programmes.
The Global Water Awards was held in conjunction with the Global Water Summit 2023 that gathered around 800 water players ranging from policy makers, utility leaders, investors, industrial water users, innovators, and contractors looking to address common challenges of utilities in an effort to transform their performance - organisational change, climate resilience, operational improvement and financial autonomy.
The Public Water Agency of the Year award rewards companies that made the biggest difference to water and wastewater service provision and utility management in 2022.