As a large part of Algeria consists of an arid to semi-arid environment, where renewable water resources are very scarce, good management of the scarce water resources is therefore pivotal.

Since October 2020, the EU-funded “Water and Environment Support (WES) in the ENI Southern Neighbourhood region” project, has been engaged in the implementation of an activity titled “Potential of Water use efficiency and water saving in domestic water” to support the public water service ‘L’Algérienne Des Eaux’ (ADE) in making informed Water Demand Management (WDM) decisions in a selected residential neighbourhood and support the development of effective intervention strategies aimed at reducing domestic water consumption.

Following the first training and the implementation of a residential water use survey in the pilot area in the city of Ramla (December 2021), WES project organised a 2-day Training focusing on the practical implementation of the water use survey methodology in the selected pilot area and interpretation of the survey results, on 02-03/05/2023, in Bejaia, Algeria.

The activity focused on the management of domestic/residential water use for indoor and outdoor domestic purposes (drinking, food preparation, cleaning, garden watering etc).

More than 20 participants such as the staff of the public Water Services ‘L’Algérienne Des Eaux’ (ADE)- Bedjaïa Unit, and the ADE Tizi Ouzou Zone, in addition to students from the Bedjaïa University were trained on the calculation of the sample size, data collection, considerations in the implementation of the survey, water use data consolidation and interpretation that should guide the development of WDM interventions to reduce domestic water consumption.

Via the WES technical, financial, institutional and regulatory recommendations, a roadmap and guide to replicate/scale up results and findings at a higher level (e.g. wilaya level), the trainees were able to improve their knowledge of water use patterns inside and outside residential buildings (including leakage in internal pipe system), use of the survey analytics, in order to design targeted water demand management (WDM) interventions and follow good practices in WDM.

A productive dialogue, an exchange of experiences and information among the participants on this activity and other relevant activities in the country was also established.