Water operator partnerships (WOPs), or twinning partnerships, are sustained, peer-to-peer relationships that draw on direct engagement and exchange of practical knowledge to facilitate how service providers can improve and expand their delivery of safe water and sustainable sanitation services. 

In a WOP, a "mentor" service provider works with its "recipient" peer to identify and overcome service delivery challenges through a jointly defined and agreed work program.  Lasting 12-24 months, typical WOP program activities include technical consultations, specialized on-the-job training, technology demonstrations, peer review of procedures and systems, and information exchange.  All WOPs under WaterLinks are results-oriented and offer mutual benefits to both partners principally through human and institutional capacity building.  For more information on what a WOP entails, click here.

Where We Work
WaterLinks works with water services providers, practitioners and associations from cities and countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Australia, and the U.S.  Since WaterLinks covers the Asia-Pacific region, recipients are from the same region while mentors are from within and beyond the region.  To view a list of participating services providers in the WaterLinks network, click here.

Examples of Successful Partnerships
There are more than 60 past, ongoing and planned WOPs in WaterLinks.  As a result, to date more than 1 million urban residents throughout the region now have improved or new access to safe water and sustainable sanitation services.  In addition, at least 100,000 low-income citizens are for the first time getting water services.  Service providers and development partners have contributed nearly 10 million dollars in capital and capacity investments in these partnerships.  To explore past and current partnerships, please visit the Partnership Database. The following WaterNotes detail the activities and outcomes of selected twinning partnerships under WaterLinks:

• Indian Service Provider Pioneers Continuous Water Supply
• Manila Partners with Danang to Improve Water Quality Management
• Partnership Catalyzes Expansion of Water Services to Indonesia's Urban Poor
• Delivering Continuous Water Supply for the First Time in Palembang, Indonesia
• Philippine Operator Ready to Scale-Up Wastewater Services
• Improving Septage Management Services in Indonesia
• Toolkit Helps Utilities Promote Behavior Change in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

 How are WOPs Facilitated?
At present under WaterLinks, WOP facilitators are organizations that provide technical assistance and coordination support to identify, develop and implement partnerships, for instance under contract or with funding assistance from a development partner.  The WaterLinks Center offers facilitation support.

Benefits of Participating in WOPs
Benefits from a partnership are mutual, providing an incentive for both partners to achieve goals set in their WOP agreement and encouraging ownership of the twinning.

Who Funds Partnerships? 
Recipient and mentor service providers contribute resources, including staff time, targeted capital investments, access to facilities and equipment, travel and other related expenses.  Development partners that support WaterLinks may also provide funding to support travel and other related expenses.