Conference programme and simulation game

For the first time, the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA) presented the Young Water Award for the best suggestion for an “Intelligent Urbanisation”. The prize, donated by the Caspar Ludwig Opländer Foundation and the company Wilo, was awarded to the winner teams taking part in the DWA higher education competition “Integrated Water Resources Management”. The competition was part of the DWA commitment at the IE expo, the largest exhibition for environmental technology in China, which took place in Shanghai from 6 to 8 May.

Promotion of young engineers with DWA Environment Kit

The competition is intended to promote young water management engineers. Within a specified time, the participating teams had to equip a fictional landscape with basic supply services. For this, paper cards with training material from the fields of water, wastewater, waste and energy were to be placed on a landscape image and arranged to form intelligent landscape planning. The cards are from the Chinese version of the DWA training kit environmental engineering.

The winning team received an invitation to the IFAT 2016 in Munich and during this time they can attend the DWA’s Young Water Professionals’ Programme. The runners-up are invited by the company Wilo to visit their plant in China. Wilo produces pump systems for water supply and disposal. The team in third-place was presented the DWA Environment Kit.

Conference programme put together with the aid of the DWA

In addition to the higher education competition, the DWA helped to shape the technical-scientific conference programme of the IE expo. In four events, it provided information on stormwater management, sewer inspection, cleaning and rehabilitation of sewers, urban development, recycling of raw materials and disposal. Rüdiger Heidebrecht, Head of the Department Education and International Relations, rates the DWA presence in China as a success: “Thanks to the commitment of the DWA abroad, it is easier for German companies to present themselves and to gain a foothold internationally.” As a trade fair for the sectors water, wastewater, waste, recycling and energy efficiency, the IE expo provides a good platform for establishing contacts with Chinese companies, scientists, experts and politicians. The competition for the young Chinese engineers also contributes to making German standards known abroad.