Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto

Programme Overview

Rapid urban expansion across developing regions places acute pressure on public sanitation and stormwater infrastructure.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ Municipalities frequently experience seasonal flooding, public health hazards from untreated effluent, and underperforming utility assets. This five-day course in Porto delivers practical methodologies to integrate urban drainage design with citywide inclusive sanitation systems. Participants review operational drainage engineering principles alongside decentralised faecal sludge management approaches, addressing technical shortcomings that impede sustainable municipal service delivery in vulnerable urban settlements.

The programme bridges civil engineering design, utility asset management, and financial governance for public sector practitioners. Through hands-on exercises, participants examine hydraulic modelling foundations, non-sewered sanitation conveyance mechanisms, and faecal sludge treatment plant operations. Institutional frameworks, performance-based private sector contracts, and tariff setting are analysed to ensure infrastructure investments achieve long-term viability. Case studies from southern Europe and emerging economies illustrate successful transitions toward resilient drainage infrastructure and structured septage containment.

Delivered through interactive technical workshops, the course enables professionals to align municipal capital investments with international standards for public health and environmental protection. Attendees systematically evaluate drainage master planning techniques, treatment technology selection criteria, and utility cost-recovery models. By the conclusion of the programme, delegates prepare actionable investment prioritisation frameworks and operational workflows designed to strengthen institutional capacity, improve utility creditworthiness, and modernise municipal drainage and sanitation systems.

Municipalities and water utilities face intensifying climate extremes, unplanned urban growth, and expanding service delivery deficits that directly undermine economic transformation.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ Engineers and urban directors implementing large-scale urban water security programmes and institutional policy frameworks must urgently reconcile capital expenditure with reliable maintenance regimes. Adopting integrated urban drainage systems and regulated faecal sludge management mechanisms is vital to mitigate systemic flood risks, prevent contamination of urban water bodies, and secure the operational sustainability of municipal utilities operating under constrained fiscal allocations.

Delivered by Risalat Consultants International in Porto, Portugal, it combines expert-led sessions, real cases and group work, so that participants can apply what they learn in their own institution.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Hydrological analysis and peak runoff calculation using the Rational Method and urban runoff models
• Design of open channels, culverts, retention basins, and sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)
• Sediment transport, erosion control, and solid waste interception in urban stormwater networks
• Integration of flood risk mapping into municipal spatial planning and master drainage strategies
• Technical audit methodologies for ageing urban drainage assets and conveyance bottleneck identification
• Quantification and characterisation of faecal sludge across the sanitation service chain
• Emptying, mechanical containment, and transfer station logistics for non-sewered urban areas
• Process design of drying beds, anaerobic baffled reactors, and co-composting facilities
• Infrastructure planning and prioritisation
• Project appraisal and business cases
• Financing options and public-private partnerships
• Procurement and contracting for works

It is designed for municipal sanitation directors and municipal council technical leads, drainage and stormwater design engineers in local government, water and sanitation utility operations and maintenance managers and others who want practical, current skills in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships.

The Growing Importance of Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto

Infrastructure and urban services shape growth, health and opportunity. Projects are large, complex and long-lived, and weaknesses in planning, financing or delivery are costly to fix later.

Governments increasingly combine public investment, partnerships with the private sector and new technologies. Teams who can plan, appraise, procure and manage these investments deliver better assets and services.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Plan and prioritise infrastructure investments
• Appraise projects and prepare business cases
• Choose financing and delivery models
• Supervise works for time, cost and quality
• Manage assets over their life

Strong infrastructure, urban development and partnerships systems help organisations:

• Select the right investments
• Deliver projects on time and on budget
• Attract financing and partners
• Keep assets working for longer

This Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto programme brings these elements together in a practical format, so that participants understand not only what good practice looks like but also how to introduce it in their own setting, with the people and resources they have.

Who Should Attend This Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Municipal sanitation directors and municipal council technical leads
• Drainage and stormwater design engineers in local government
• Water and sanitation utility operations and maintenance managers
• Sanitation service regulators and environmental health inspectors
• Project management unit engineers working on donor-financed projects
• Civil works directors overseeing urban flood control infrastructure
• Utility commercial directors and financial planning specialists
• Consulting engineers managing municipal sanitation assignments
• Policy specialists managing urban water security interventions
• Infrastructure and urban planners
• Engineers and technical managers
• Project and programme managers

The programme suits experienced professionals as well as those moving into new responsibilities. Groups that mix institutions and countries are encouraged, because participants learn a great deal from each other’s experience.

Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto Training, participants will be able to:

• Apply urban drainage engineering principles to alleviate stormwater flooding in dense informal and formal settlements
• Evaluate decentralized faecal sludge treatment plant designs and operational protocols for non-sewered sanitation chains
• Structure viable sanitation service contracts with private operators for emptying, transport, and treatment services
• Develop multi-criteria infrastructure investment prioritization plans linked to municipal capital investment budgets
• Build financial sustainability models that incorporate full cost recovery, operational expenditures, and tariff structuring for utilities
• Implement asset management frameworks aligned with international performance benchmarks and environmental regulations
• Assess institutional mechanisms required to strengthen public sanitation compliance, utility governance, and service regulation
• Explain how infrastructure is planned and prioritised
• Appraise projects and prepare a business case
• Compare financing and delivery models, including partnerships

Each objective is practised during the programme through exercises, cases or group work, so that participants leave able to do it, not only to describe it.

Programme Contents and Structure

Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto Training Methodology

The training employs an applied, professional adult-learning methodology centred on practical utility engineering and administration.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ Daily sessions blend technical presentations on established engineering standards with interactive problem-solving workshops using real-world urban data. Delegates examine case studies from Portuguese municipal utilities, conduct comparative analyses of operational models, and participate in peer-led design studios. The course culminates in an applied infrastructure planning exercise where participants formulate and defend an integrated drainage and sanitation prioritisation plan applicable to their home utility or municipal authority.

The programme combines:

• Expert-led sessions on current practice
• Regional and international case studies
• Group work and practical exercises
• Simulations and role plays where relevant
• Discussion of participants' own challenges
• Peer learning across institutions and countries
• Practical tools and templates to take back to work
• Daily reflection and action planning

Before the programme, a short pre-assessment helps the facilitators understand each participant’s role and priorities, so that examples and exercises can be adjusted to the group. Each day ends with a short reflection in which participants note what they will apply at work.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto Training, participants will be able to:

• Competence in designing hydraulic dimensions for urban drainage channels and stormwater detention facilities
• Capability to specify process flow diagrams and operational parameters for faecal sludge treatment plants
• Ability to draft enforceability clauses and key performance indicators for private sector sanitation contracts
• Proficiency in constructing life-cycle financial models to determine required utility operational tariffs
• Formulation of a comprehensive urban sanitation and drainage capital investment prioritization plan
• Skills to institutionalise proactive asset maintenance management across municipal utility operations
• Plan and prioritise infrastructure investments
• Appraise projects and prepare business cases

Participants leave with a personal action plan and practical tools they can use in their institution from the first week back. Institutions that send several participants can use the programme to agree shared methods and templates across teams, which makes improvements easier to sustain.

Institutional Application of Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Investment planning
• Project appraisal
• Partnership management
• Works supervision
• Asset management

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Business cases
• Risk allocation
• Contract management
• Maintenance planning
• Service monitoring

The programme is built so that learning moves from the classroom into the institution. Participants work on their own processes and documents where possible, and leave with an action plan that their managers can review and support.

Regional Relevance & Application

Europe

European institutions apply infrastructure, urban development and partnerships within detailed regulatory frameworks and reform agendas. Participants from Europe can compare their practice with colleagues from other regions and test how established methods work under different conditions.

Africa

Across Africa, ministries, agencies and project teams working in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships increasingly operate alongside donor-financed programmes that expect clear systems and evidence. The programme helps participants adapt good practice to the institutions and resources they work with.

Middle East

In the Middle East, national development strategies and diversification plans place growing demands on infrastructure, urban development and partnerships. Participants explore how to build the capability these plans need inside public bodies and companies.

Asia

Institutions across Asia combine rapid growth with ambitious modernisation programmes. Participants from Asia can share their experience of scaling systems quickly and learn from approaches used elsewhere.

Pacific

Small island and Pacific states face particular constraints of size, distance and capacity. The programme highlights practical, proportionate approaches to infrastructure, urban development and partnerships that suit smaller institutions.

Holding the programme in Porto, Portugal brings participants together away from their daily pressures, so they can compare how infrastructure, urban development and partnerships is handled in different settings. The same programme can also be delivered in-house for one institution, in its own country or online, with cases taken from its current work.

Host Country Profile – Portugal

Risalat Consultants International runs open-enrolment training programmes in Porto, Portugal for officials, project teams and professionals from across the region. Dates, fees and what each programme covers are listed above, and any programme can also be delivered in-house for your institution.

Studying away from their own country gives participants time to focus, a fresh view of their own institution and the chance to build a network with colleagues from other countries.

Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto Training Deliverables

Participants receive support before, during and after the programme, so that preparation, learning and follow-up form one continuous experience.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto Readiness Assessment
• Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto Training Manual
• Project Appraisal Template
• PPP Risk Allocation Matrix
• Works Supervision Checklist
• Asset Management Plan Template
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• Business Case Review Checklist
• Maintenance Planning Template
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions can also request a tailored in-house version of this programme, delivered at their premises or online. Request a proposal.

Common Challenges in Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto, And How This Training Helps

How can institutions plan and prioritise infrastructure investments?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (Urban Stormwater Hydrology and Drainage Engineering), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions appraise projects and prepare business cases?

The programme addresses this directly on the second day (Faecal Sludge Management and Decentralized Treatment Systems), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions choose financing and delivery models?

The programme addresses this directly on the third day (Service Contracting, Regulation, and Private Sector Participation), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions supervise works for time, cost and quality?

The programme addresses this directly on the fourth day (Utility Operations, Asset Management, and Commercial Governance), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions manage assets over their life?

The programme addresses this directly on the fifth day (Financial Sustainability, Investment Prioritisation, and Action Planning), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the Urban Drainage Design, Faecal Sludge Management and Utility Operations in Porto programme take place?

It runs from 4 Jan 2027 to 8 Jan 2027, in Porto, Portugal. The registration deadline is shown at the top of this page.

Who should attend?

The programme is designed for municipal sanitation directors and municipal council technical leads, drainage and stormwater design engineers in local government, water and sanitation utility operations and maintenance managers, sanitation service regulators and environmental health inspectors, and others who want practical skills in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a Certificate of Completion from Risalat Consultants International.

Can this programme be delivered for our institution only?

Yes. We can deliver a tailored in-house version at your premises, in another city or online, built around your own cases. Use the proposal request on this page.

Do I need prior experience in infrastructure, urban development and partnerships?

No specialist background is required beyond experience in a related role. A short pre-assessment helps the facilitators adapt the sessions to the group.

Training courses in PortoM&E & Performance Management training courses

More training courses in Portugal · All programmes in Europe · Full training calendar

Plan this programme in a roadmap: why it matters, why to approve it, the dates to plan and the career it builds.