Anatol Pšenička started his career in the banking sector. He subsequently held a number of managerial positions in water management companies in the Czech Republic. He has been the Director of Severomoravské vodovody a kanalizace Ostrava since 2015.
Water is a strategic resource, and water management also requires smart solutions. What solutions does you
company offer to clients?
Even a conservative industry such as the water industry does not avoid the dynamic development in the fi eld of smart technologies. On the one hand, these technologies serve to reduce losses in the water supply network. At 10.57% last year, SmVaK Ostrava’s losses reached the lowest value ever. The 4,615 kilometres of the water supply network are divided into more than 800 districts with 1,300 sensors. These provide 130,000 data points per day. This makes it possible to introduce new locations and sensors, set limits or evaluate the economics of repairs, potential savings or the volume of water that has not been invoiced.
Another area is so-called smart metering, where water meters (primarily for large consumers) are fi tted with devices that transmit data to a central system. This allows drinking water consumption to be managed more efficiently and creates alerts for potential problems in the network. This system will be further developed. Smart technologies are used to manage the backbone system for the production and distribution of drinking water in the region — the Ostrava Regional Water Supply System. Data from drinking water treatment plants, reservoirs and nodes on the network are transmitted to a central control room. The latter can react to atypical situations if necessary. The same applies to wastewater treatment plants.
Companies — and not only those in the Moravian-Silesian Region — are learning to manage energy. Can water also be a smart energy source, and are you implementing such projects?
Much like anyone else, seeing current energy prices does not exactly make us calm. Thanks to seven small hydropower plants at the region’s three central water treatment plants and four major reservoirs, or cogeneration units at eight wastewater treatment plants, we are 40% self-sufficient. The goal is to reach half self-sufficiency by 2030. In addition to our energy production, we will achieve this by reducing our energy intensity further. We have also started systematically assessing our carbon footprint and implementing measures to reduce it.
Is social responsibility in the concept of your corporate strategy an obligation, or does it come from the activities of your employees as well?
Our activities are spread over a number of areas. For seven years, we have been supporting employees active in the non-profi t sector by the Swimming in it together! programme. In the field of education, we cooperate with the Faculty of Mining and Geology at VŠB-TUO and with primary schools, for which we have prepared educational programmes on the importance of water for nature and humans — The Tree of Life and Planet Oxidan. Thousands of pupils in dozens of schools have already taken part in these programmes. We are active in expanding the biodiversity elements of our operations. Comprehensive employee care is also key for us. Without their responsible work, we could never achieve our goals.
Thank you for the interview.
