Ostravské vodárny a kanalizace

What Ostravské vodárny a kanalizace does

Ostravské vodárny a kanalizace a.s. (OVAK) is a municipal water and wastewater utility headquartered in Ostrava, Czech Republic, providing drinking water supply, sewage collection and wastewater treatment to the residents and businesses of the City of Ostrava. The company operates a 1,063 km public water supply network, 14 reservoir complexes with combined capacity up to 37,000 m³, and the 21-hectare Central Wastewater Treatment Plant (ÚČOV) in Ostrava-Přívoz, drawing primarily on the historic Ostrava-Nová Ves water treatment plant that has operated since 1908. OVAK is wholly owned by the Statutární město Ostrava (City of Ostrava), which both owns the underlying infrastructure and leases it back to OVAK on terms that exceed 300 million CZK per annum, with the city co-investing equal sums in modernization.

The revenue model combines regulated recurring tariffs (vodné a stočné) with adjacent service lines: accredited laboratory analysis, construction of water/sewerage connections, septic and cesspool disposal across the Moravian-Silesian Region, and sewer cleaning and CCTV inspection. Pricing for the regulated water and sewage tariff is set under Czech water law, while ancillary services compete on commercial terms. Customer touchpoints include a 24/7 emergency hotline, a physical customer center, an online customer account portal (zis.ovak.cz), and digital service request channels.

Operationally, OVAK has invested in a technology stack centered on smart metering (covering more than 90% of installed water meters with nearly 30,000 automated endpoints), AI-based leak detection processing Big Data across monitoring zones, LiDAR-based perimetric security at the Muglinov reservoir complex (first deployment in the Moravian-Silesian Region), and voice-controlled smart glasses for underground sewer inspections. Community-facing assets include the BABYLON mini-museum of water engineering (opened 2017), the 'Hledej pramen vody' school competition engaging 16,000+ students over 21+ years, and the FREE WATER ZONE (VODOBAR and VODNÍ MLHY) deployed at major festivals including Colours of Ostrava. The Central Wastewater Treatment Plant suffered 470-500 million CZK in damage during September 2024 floods, with a three-stage recovery plan scheduled for completion by 1 June 2025.

Name

Ostravské vodárny a kanalizace

Legal name

Ostravské vodárny a kanalizace a.s.

Website

https://ovak.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ostravské vodárny a kanalizace (OVAK) is the municipal water and wastewater utility serving Ostrava, Czech Republic. Owned by the City of Ostrava, it operates a 1,063 km supply network, smart metering, and a central wastewater treatment plant under regulated tariff plus ancillary service revenues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ostrava

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Vodné a stočné (Water supply and sewage fees): Recurring fees for drinking water supply and wastewater collection/treatment. Core regulated utility revenue stream.
2. Laboratory services: Accredited laboratory analyses for drinking water and wastewater, including official flow measurements
3. Construction and connection services: Design and implementation of water and sewage connections, construction services
4. Septic tank and wastewater disposal: Vacuum truck services for septic tanks, cesspools, grease traps and domestic wastewater treatment plants throughout Moravian-Silesian Region

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ostravské vodárny a kanalizace a.s. (OVAK) is the licensed municipal water and wastewater utility for the city of Ostrava, Czech Republic. It operates and maintains the public water supply network (1,063 km), the public sewerage network and Central Wastewater Treatment Plant, and provides drinking water supply, sewage collection and wastewater treatment to residential, commercial, and municipal customers. The company also offers ancillary services including accredited laboratory water analysis, construction of water and sewer connections, septic tank and cesspool collection, and smart metering.

Product overview

Ostravské vodárny a kanalizace a.s. (OVAK) is a municipal water utility providing integrated water and wastewater services for the city of Ostrava. Its portfolio consists of two core infrastructure services — the Water Supply Network (Vodovodní síť, 1,063 km) and the Sewerage Network (Kanalizační síť) including the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant — supported by specialized service lines: construction of water and sewerage connections, accredited laboratory testing, septic tank collection, and sewer cleaning/monitoring. OVAK also operates consumer-facing digital services including Smart Metering (Chytré měření), a Customer Account Portal (Zákaznický účet), and the FREE WATER ZONE community initiative with its VODOBAR and VODNÍ MLHY components. Educational offerings include the BABYLON mini-museum and the 'Hledej pramen vody' school competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vodovodní síť (Water Supply Network) Operation and maintenance of the public drinking water supply network serving Ostrava, spanning 1,063 km and sourcing from the Ostrava-Nová Ves water treatment plant. Supplies treated drinking water to residential, commercial, and municipal customers.
• Kanalizační síť (Sewerage Network)

Quantifiable outcome

• Remote meter reading coverage exceeding 90% of installed water meters
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• NOSPR - Národní symfonický orchestr Polského rozhlasu KatoviceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 June 2025OVAK was a partner of the Katowice Radio National Symphony Orchestra concert at the Leoše Janáček International Music Festival, supporting international cultural exchange.
• Statutární město OstravacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe city of Ostrava is the owner of water and sewage infrastructure. OVAK operates the infrastructure under lease agreement, paying over 300 million CZK annually in rent. The city also invests an equal amount from its own budget for infrastructure development. OVAK was established based on the city's water infrastructure ownership.
• Colours of OstravamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK provides FREE WATER ZONE with water bar and misting installations at the major international music festival, promoting tap water quality and providing hydration to festival-goers.
• Mezinárodní hudební festival Leoše JanáčkamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK is a long-term partner of the international music festival, supporting cultural events that extend beyond Ostrava and Czech Republic borders.
• Dream Factory OstravaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK supports the theater festival as part of cultural CSR initiatives.
• Svatováclavské hudební slavnostiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK partners with the St. Wenceslas music festival as part of cultural sponsorship.
• Olympijské parky OstravaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK provided FREE WATER ZONE at Olympic parks, offering free tap water and misting stations to visitors during the event.
• Cirkulum festivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK supported the international new circus and street theater festival with water bar and misting installations.
• Čtyřlístek - centrum pro osoby se zdravotním postiženímminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK co-finances rehabilitation equipment for minors at the disability center as part of social responsibility initiatives.
• Ostravská organizace vozíčkářůminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK provides long-term support to the Ostrava wheelchair organization, including vehicle sponsorship.
• SDO BrontosauřiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK supports the Brontosaurs youth organization in their environmental and outdoor activities.
• Akcičky s.r.o. (Daruj duhu)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK participates in the Daruj duhu charity project fulfilling dreams of disabled children, including Rainbow Run event sponsorship.
• Český červený kříž OstravaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK provided support through the Red Cross for Ukraine humanitarian aid efforts.
• Městská nemocnice OstravaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVAK contributed to financing the vaccination center at Černá louka and purchased protective equipment for the municipal hospital during COVID-19.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeovak.cz/videoportal
• Facebookfacebook.com/ovak.cz
• LinkedIncz.linkedin.com/company/ovak
• Instagraminstagram.com/ovak_ostrava

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ostravské vodárny a kanalizace