The Deputy Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, Dr. Sayed Ismail, emphasized the importance of updating the codes related to drinking water and sanitation systems to ensure the longevity of the assets and investments in utilities and infrastructure. He also stressed the need to rely on the sector’s modern technology and intelligent systems.
This came during Dr. Sayed Ismail’s chairing of the regular meeting of the High Coordination Committee to establish the institutional framework for the drinking water and sanitation systems codes. The meeting focused on updating the required codes for drinking water and sanitation systems as part of the ongoing update of the drinking water and sanitation sector strategy, which aims to enhance performance and efficiency in the design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of utilities while introducing innovative, intelligent systems.
Dr. Sayed Ismail stated that during the meeting, the methodology and work mechanism for updating the codes issued for the water system, which have reached 21 codes, were reviewed. He pointed to the Ministry of Housing’s approach to enhancing scientific research’s role in developing the utility sector in Egypt for sustainable development. This is achieved through two main entities: the Housing Research Center, which issues the codes, and the Drinking Water Regulatory Authority, the neutral regulatory body.
In turn, Dr. Mohamed Massoud, Chairman of the National Housing and Building Research Center, explained that the tasks of the coordination committee include setting the general strategy for preparing the codes for the drinking water and sanitation systems, coordinating between the committees responsible for these codes, following up on the permanent committees, and establishing the general frameworks for their work. One of the committee’s tasks is also to propose the existing codes that need updating for the drinking water and sanitation system.
At the end of the meeting, several vital recommendations were issued, including the commitment to complete the work plan for the required codes according to the priority of issuance within a period not exceeding seven months.
It is worth noting that the High Coordination Committee for establishing the institutional framework for the drinking water and sanitation systems codes was formed by Ministerial Decision No. 10 of 2024, under the supervision of Dr. Sayed Ismail and chaired by Dr. Mohamed Massoud, Chairman of the National Housing and Building Research Center. The committee includes Dr. Abdel-Qawi Khalifa, former Minister of Utilities, Dr. Mohamed Hassan Mustafa, Drinking Water Regulatory Authority Chairman, Egyptian universities and research centers professors, and National Housing and Building Research Center specialists.