Lebanon Water and Wastewater Sector Support Quarterly Report: July 2012 — September 2012

(DAI). The program provides technical assistance and related services to impact USAID/Lebanon's Assistance Objective (AO) 4 - "Improved water services for all in Lebanon" - and the corresponding Intermediate Results (IRs) - more efficient management of water resources, improved water infrastructure, and enhanced water governance. The program works in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and Water (MOEW) to assist Lebanon's four Water Establishments (WEs) in strengthening their capacity to deliver high-quality and sustainable services. The areas of focus that LWWSS targets in working with the WEs include building management capacity, increasing financial management capacity and financial system integration, procuring equipment to complement technical assistance and capacity building, business planning to increase capital planning and benchmarking capacity, funding urgent infrastructure works to enhance delivery or access and coverage, and developing a corporate culture, customer service orientation and public outreach programs. The program has tailored the individual WE work plans to apply the information gathered on each WE and to leverage the successes accomplished to date. This Quarterly Report covers the period from July 2012 – September 2012 and provides quarterly highlights, component updates that provide technical perspective, and then details progress of project activities broken down by each Water Establishment and then further by each component, as per the Year-Three Work Plan. North Lebanon Finance Training was conducted on July 5, with LWWSS Financial Specialist Mike Chalah and LWWSS IT and Systems Specialist, Nabil El-Khoury, delivering training to North Lebanon Water Establishment (NLWE) staff on financial management and accounting practices. The training aimed to enhance the NLWE's financial management capacity and improve its ability to manage its finances effectively. Jeita Pump Station Equipment was delivered on July 10, with the equipment being installed at the Jeita Pump Station in Beirut. The equipment was procured as part of the LWWSS program's efforts to support the WEs in procuring equipment to complement technical assistance and capacity building. The program has made significant progress in implementing its Year-Three Work Plan, with the Beka'a Water Establishment (BWE) making notable progress in implementing its work plan. The BWE has completed the installation of a new water metering system, which is expected to improve the accuracy of water consumption data and enable the BWE to better manage its water resources. The Beirut-Mount Lebanon Water Establishment (BMLWE) has also made significant progress in implementing its work plan, with the establishment completing the installation of a new water treatment plant. The new plant is expected to improve the quality of water supplied to the BMLWE's customers and reduce the risk of waterborne diseases. The North Lebanon Water Establishment (NLWE) has also made progress in implementing its work plan, with the establishment completing the installation of a new water distribution system. The new system is expected to improve the efficiency of water distribution and reduce the risk of water losses. The South Lebanon Water Establishment (SLWE) has also made progress in implementing its work plan, with the establishment completing the installation of a new water pumping station. The new station is expected to improve the efficiency of water supply and reduce the risk of water shortages. The program has also made progress in collaborating with donors and GOL officials, with the LWWSS team meeting with representatives from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the German Technical Assistance (GTZ) to discuss potential funding opportunities for the program. The program has also made progress in implementing its contract deliverables, with the LWWSS team completing the development of a new management information system (MIS) for the WEs. The new MIS is expected to improve the efficiency of data collection and analysis and enable the WEs to better manage their operations. The program has also made progress in addressing challenges, problems, and issues, with the LWWSS team working with the WEs to address issues related to staff shortages, aging workforce, poor customer relations, low tariffs, lack of metering, excessive non-revenue water, and underinvestment in the water and wastewater infrastructure. The program has also made progress in providing short-term technical assistance (STTA) to the WEs, with the LWWSS team providing training and technical assistance to the WEs on various topics, including financial management, accounting practices, and water treatment plant operations. The program has also made progress in planning major activities for the next quarter, with the LWWSS team developing a plan to support the WEs in implementing their work plans and addressing the challenges they face. The program has also made progress in reporting on environmental compliance, with the LWWSS team submitting a report on the program's environmental compliance for the quarter. The program's performance monitoring plan (PMP) tables report progress on the indicators for year three of the project, with the tables showing that the program has made significant progress in implementing its work plan and achieving its objectives. The program's