Our projects
Over 800 national operators in drinking water and wastewater services as well as European operators from Belgium, Poland, Switzerland and Austria participate in our benchmarking projects. We assemble our groups regionally, nationally, internationally or as required. Since the mid-1990s we have been developing targeted benchmarking projects together with the industry in the German speaking region.
Water supply and dams
aquabench currently offers the following benchmarking products for suppliers of drinking water.
Benchmarking at utility level
- Bulk water suppliers, contact: Marius Wilke
- Dams, contact: Marius Wilke
- Direct suppliers, contact: Dr. Kay Möller
- State-wide projects, contact: various
- European Benchmarking Co-Operation, contact: Dr. Kay Möller
Benchmarking at process level
- Drinking water production, contact: Dr. Kay Möller
- Human resources, contact: Marius Wilke
- IT, contact: Marius Wilke
- Pipeline construction, contact: Dr. Kay Möller
- Planning and construction supervision, contact: Dr. Kay Möller
- Supply management, contact: Axel Schmidt
- Water distribution, contact: Marius Wilke
Knowledge Management
- Document Management, contact: Eva Wortmann
- Critical Infrastructure Protection, contact: Jan-Philipp Kreienborg
We will be glad to send you further information, or you can participate individually in a "check“.
Wastewater disposal
aquabench currently offers the following benchmarking projects for wastewater service operators:
Benchmarking at utility level
- Large cities, contact: Dr. Torsten Franz
- Organisations subject to special laws in North Rhine-Westphalia, contact: Dr. Torsten Franz
- State-wide projects, contact: various
- European Benchmarking Co-Operation, contact: Dr. Kay Möller
Benchmarking at process level
- Human resources, contact: Marius Wilke
- Indirect discharger monitoring, contact: Jan-Philipp Kreienborg
- IT, contact: Marius Wilke
- Laboratory, contact: Eva Wortmann
- Planning and construction supervision, contact: Dr. Kay Möller
- Property drainage, contact: Dr. Kay Möller
- Sewer construction, contact: Dr. Kay Möller
- Sewer operation, contact: Dr. Torsten Franz
- Supply management, contact: Axel Schmidt
- Wastewater treatment plants, contact: Eva Wortmann
Knowledge Management
- Document Management, contact: Eva Wortmann
- Critical Infrastructure Protection, contact: Jan-Philipp Kreienborg
We will be glad to send you further information, or you can participate individually in a "check“.
German state-wide water / wastewater projects
There has been an entry into benchmarking in various German state-wide performance indicator projects since 2005.
Through a simple comparison of core performance indicators, the company should be able to make an initial voluntary performance assessment in comparison with the other companies and obtain initial pointers towards improvement potentials.
aquabench is currently participating in the following initiatives for German state-wide benchmarking projects:
Comparison of wastewater performance indicators in Baden-Württemberg
In a common initiative, the Cities Council, the Communities Council and the DWA State Association of Baden-Württemberg have been offering a benchmarking project for all wastewater disposal companies in Baden-Württemberg since 2007. The project consistently pursues the goals formulated in the German Water Resources Management Association's declaration. All wastewater disposal companies in Baden-Württemberg – and in particular the smaller and mid-size communities – are given the option of participating in an anonymised performance indicator comparison on a voluntary basis.
Contact: Marius Wilke
For more information: Comparison of wastewater performance indicators in Baden-Württemberg
Wastewater benchmarking in Bavaria
The project Benchmarking wastewater for Bavaria will start in the summer of 2017 in the sixth round of projects (based on data of year 2016). The Bavarian municipal associations of cities and local authorities, the Bavarian DWA and the Ministry of Environment and Consumer Protection recommend all waste water utilities, especially the smaller and medium-sized ones, to participate in the project. Participation is possible for operators of sewage treatment plants and / or the sewage network. The project itself has been offered since 2007.
Contact: Jan-Philipp Kreienborg
For more information: Wastewater benchmarking in Bavaria
Water and wastewater benchmarking in Hessen
The state-wide water and wastewater benchmarking in Hessen is currently in abeyance. However, so that interested Hessian utilities can still get the opportunity to take part firstly in a benchmarking for performance assessment and further operational optimisation and secondly in the price and fee transparency, there is an exclusive possibility to join the benchmarking initiative in Rhineland-Palatinate, since a nationwide standardised methodology developed by aquabench GmbH is used there.
Contact: Marius Wilke
Wastewater benchmarking in Northern Germany
In co-operation with the Association of the Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall e.V. (DWA) [German Water Resources Management, Wastewater and Waste Association], aquabench has been carrying out benchmarking comparisons in Northern Germany in a 2-year cycle since 2008.
Contact: Dr. Torsten Franz
For more information: Wastewater benchmarking in Northern Germany
Water and wastewater benchmarking in North Rhine-Westphalia
Comparable to the initiatives in other German states, a benchmarking has also been offered in North Rhine-Westphalia – both for wastewater disposal and the supply of water – since the data collection year 2006 in a so-called state project. The last survey for the wastewater segment took place in the survey year 2010. Unlike in other German states the state-wide project has been suspended since then. As a replacement or a continuation of the initiatives mentioned above, aquabench GmbH offers an individual benchmarking for both the wastewater and water supply operators.
Contact: Marius Wilke
For more information: Water and wastewater benchmarking in North Rhine-Westphalia
Water resources management benchmarking in Rhineland-Palatinate
The benchmarking initiative supports all Rhine-Westphalian utilities in the water industry in their endeavors to carry out the assigned tasks of general public services economically, sustainably and safely. Since 2005, aquabench has been working together with the Ministry of Environment, Energy, Food and Forestry and the relevant water industry associations as well as the municipal associations to fulfill these goals.
Contact: Daniel Zipperer
For more information: Water resources management benchmarking in Rhineland-Palatinate
Comparison of the drinking water supply performance in Saarland
The comparison of the drinking water supply performance in Saarland is being carried out after a long pause for a second time by aquabench with the survey year 2014 under the project sponsorship of the VEWSaar and the VKU State Group for Saarland and also includes a survey of the State Cartel Authority, which is taking place in parallel.
Contact: Marius Wilke
For more information: Comparison of the drinking water supply performance in Saarland
Wastewater benchmarking in Saxony
In co-operation with the Saxonian/Thuringian State Association of the Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall e.V. (DWA) [German Water Resources Management, Wastewater and Waste Association], a benchmarking was carried out in the Federal State of Saxony in the years 2010/2011. Unlike in other German states the state-wide project has been suspended since then. aquabench offers an individual benchmarking as a continuation.
Contact: Dr. Torsten Franz
For more information: Wastewater benchmarking in Saxony
Drinking water performance indicator comparison in Schleswig-Holstein
The drinking water performance indicator comparison in Schleswig-Holstein is entering the third round. In the first two project rounds a total of 20 utilities decided to take part in the voluntary drinking water performance indicator comparison in Schleswig-Holstein.
Contact: Dr. Kay Möller
For more information: Drinking water performance indicator comparison in Schleswig-Holstein
International projects
Our experiences, our instruments and our software can also be applied beyond national borders and outside of the water supply and wastewater disposal industry.
We are partners of development co-operation organisations and of national trade associations in Europe or in the Arabian region. We provide support for performance indicator development, provide our software in other languages, assist with application and train managerial staff.
German hub for European Benchmarking Co-operation (EBC)
Clients
4 German Water and Wastewater operators
Duration
since 2008
Goals / methods / results
- Support of data collection and plausibilisation
- German documents and interface to European Benchmarking Co-operation (EBC)
- Support of analysis and interpretation of results
Team
Daniel Zipperer, Pamela Raehmel, Marius Wilke, Kay Möller
Contact: Kay Möller
Revision of the benchmarking system of a national regulator in South America
Client
World Bank
Duration
2015 - 2016
Goals / methods / results
Effective working with performance indicators also concerns national regulators in the water industry. In a project for the World Bank, aquabench analysed the system of a South American regulator and, based on experience from benchmarking in Germany, developed elements of a complete benchmarking cycle for future practice.
Team
Dr. Torsten Franz, Daniel Zipperer, Filip Bertzbach
Contact: Peter Graf
Performance indicators for water supply and wastewater disposal in financial co-operation
Client
KfW Development Bank (aquabench as a subcontractor of Emscher Wassertechnik GmbH)
Duration
May 2015 - December 2016
Goals / methods / results
Development of international and national accepted key performance indicators in water supply and wastewater sector for the quality control in development projects and internal benchmarking system in KFW development bank.
Main activities:
- Elaboration of well-founded proposals for performance indicators that are at least necessary from the point of view of technical and development policy in order to be able to reliably evaluate the economic and financial performance of supply and disposal companies
- Illustration of the calculation methodology for the performance indicators
- Assistance with the implementation
Team
Daniel Zipperer, Peter Graf, Emscher Wassertechnik GmbH
Contact: Peter Graf
Regional benchmarking programme of the Arab Countries Water Utility Association
Client
Arab Countries Water Utility Association (ACWUA), Amman, Jordan
Duration
2014 - 2016
Goals / methods / results
aquabench was supporting the Arabian association (ACWUA) in carrying out a benchmarking in water resources and wastewater disposal management and providing the aquabench online software.
Team
Daniel Zipperer, Martina Graeser, Filip Bertzbach
Contact: Daniel Zipperer
Development and application of energy performance indicators in the Arabian region
Client
Arab Countries Water Utility Association (ACWUA), Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) [German International Co-operation Society]
Duration
May 2014 - December 2015
Goals / methods / results
GIZ GmbH's programme of dialogue and further training supports the implementation of reform processes in the water sector in the MENA region and in doing so supports the Arab Countries Water Utility Association (ACWUA) amongst others. The energy efficiency optimisation of the member countries is supported both with the help of a guideline and with the initiation of targeted benchmarking in this area.
aquabench's task – together with energy experts from the region – was to develop relevant energy performance indicators (based on experience from German water industry), to check the applicability and data availability and to describe these performance indicators in an energy analysis guideline as well as to apply them in a regional benchmarking.
Integration into the guidelines was completed in 2014. Application in the regional benchmarking project of the Arab Countries Water Utility Association (ACWUA) was subsequently supported by aquabench.
Team
Daniel Zipperer, Filip Bertzbach
Contact: Daniel Zipperer
Business Plan Study – Aquarating
Client
International Water Association (IWA), Den Haag
Partners
CD Consultancy, Amsterdam and Timpoc Consultants, Den Haag
Duration
November 2012 - December 2013
Goals / methods / results
Creation of a study on the backgrounds, market situation and strategic options for the rating instrument of the International Water Association (IWA)
Team
Daniel Zipperer, Filip Bertzbach
Contact: Peter Graf
Support for the French communal association FNCCR
Client
FEDERATION NATIONALE DES COLlECTIVITES CONCEDANTES ET REGIES (FNCCR), Paris
Duration
since 2012
Goals / methods / results
aquabench is supporting the French association of public communal companies (FNCCR) in the execution of benchmarkings projects and providing the aquabench online software.
Team
Martina Graeser, Dr. Torsten Franz, Filip Bertzbach
Contact: Martina Graeser
Managerial staffs and expert training for the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) [German International Co-operation Society]
Client
Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) [German International Co-operation Society]
Duration
10 training courses since 2010
Goals / methods / results
GIZ’ programme of dialogue and further training supports the implementation of reform processes in the global water sector. Experts from the MENA region from East Africa and the Congo were trained accordingly by aquabench in the use of performance indicators and benchmarking. The regional systems were used thereby and their strengths and weaknesses identified. Training usually consists of 30% theoretical input and 70% practical exercises
Team
Daniel Zipperer, Pamela Raehmel, Filip Bertzbach
Contact: Daniel Zipperer
Performance audit focusing on the effectiveness of waste water treatment in chosen European treatment plants
Client
European Court of Auditors
Partner
Emscher Wassertechnik GmbH, Essen
Duration
2007
Goals / methods / results
Performance audit focusing on the effectiveness of waste water treatment in Ireland, Greece, Portugal und Spain
Team
Peter Graf
Contact: Peter Graf