Introduction of the Hungarian Water Utility Association

Our present

In Hungary public water services are provided by state-owned, municipal and jointly owned water utilities. The owner of the regional companies with a decisive participation is the State itself.
Conducted drinking water supply is available in every Hungarian township, thus water is drinkable everywhere.
Wastewater utilities, compared to advanced EU states,  are still in considerable  lag despite recent significant improvements. City waste water programs are close to completion, but in the capital, just as in some other cities and townships investments of several hundred billion HUF are necessary to be implemented. Of the 3100 settle-ments there are 800  the sewage system of which bears the liquid wastes of half of the country's flats .

 

Membership, targets

Approximately 400 public water utilities operate within different structural frames. 100 of these, are affiliated members of the Hungarian  Water Utility Association, which assure  95 % of the public water service of the country. Moreover, 100 affiliated members represent the water industry and trade.  Efforts of the  Association taken on coordinating these organizations that are different not only in the number of staff, but in the conditions of services as well,  will be more and more important on the following main task groups:
• representation and harmonization of interests, maintaining relations with national and foreign organizations, with  ministries, municipalities, with parliamentary, scientific and social committees, associations and with chambers;
• information circulation, technical, economic and administrative trainings, publications, conferences and program organization;
• the spread of advanced technologies and methods, cooperation with   water industry and trade companies, as well as with local authorities and social organizations.
With Hungary's accession to the European Union the Association has became a member of the European Union of National Associations of Water Services (EUREAU) and maintains relations with numerous Hungarian and foreign organizations.

 

Our organisation

The main organ of the Association is the General Assembly, which involves members and associated members. The Association is directed by a Presidium, which is reelected every three years and is headed by the Chairman. The Association's management is based on the yearly membership fee,  utilization of which is controlled by the Board of Supervision. Daily tasks are done by a Secretariat of a small staff headed by the General Secretary. The organisation’s activity  is supported by committees consisting of the best experts of the members.

 

Our Future

On 1  May 2004 Hungary has become member of the EU.
The State Program for Improvement of Drinking Water Quality aims to secure drinking water quality, which meets the European requirements by 2009. The implementation cost of this program is 200 billion HUF.
Besides,  costs of the National Settlement Waste Water Discharge and -cleaning Implementation Program (2000-2015) is 800 billion HUF,  main  targets  of which are:
• harmless discharge and disposal of waste water has to be provided in the whole country;
• at least biological cleaning has to be ensured in settlements above 2000 population equivalent and in smaller vulnerable hydro-geological environments;
• professional public utility remounts have to be developed in townships the sewerage of which is economically not profitable;
• treated waste water has to be reused according to possibilities.