55 Years of Dedication to Tirana Water Supply – A Conversation with Engineer Vladimir Gjino

Some professions are more than just a job, they become a part of your life. For Vladimir Gjino, an engineer at Tirana Water Supply for more than 55 years, the institution has been much more than a workplace. It has been a life dedicated to his profession, a passion that has endured over the years, and a constant desire to see the water utility improve and develop.

Always driven by one main mission: to serve citizens and the community.

Mr. Gjino, when did you complete your studies and what did you specialize in?

I graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering in 1970 with a degree in Hydrotechnical Engineering, specializing in Roads and Bridges.

How long have you been working at Tirana Water Supply and Sewerage Company (UKT)?

I started working at UKT on 15 January 1971, and I am still working here today—more than 55 years later.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Working at a water utility is a very rewarding job. It gives you the opportunity to develop your professional skills in this field. After spending all these years in the profession, I have become deeply passionate about Tirana Water Utility, and I cannot imagine not thinking about the utility even when I am not physically there.

Since 1988, I have wanted to establish a modern dispatching center where all the necessary information could be displayed, including reservoir levels, network pressures, and hydraulic models of the network by zone. Unfortunately, the conditions have not allowed us to make this a reality. I hope that we will achieve this goal very soon, together with the Director of the institution, Mr. Shoshi.

The Director knows every part of the water supply system in detail, and I am confident that under his leadership, we will build a modern and efficient model water utility—one that Tirana has deserved and has been waiting for many years.

What are the main challenges you face in your daily work?

Managing the water utility operations as effectively as required today is challenging because we lack sufficient information on network pressures and supply schemes. We also lack a proper valve system for dividing the network into zones, which sometimes makes it difficult to isolate faults and means that the water supply must be shut off all the way to the reservoir.

This makes it more difficult to reduce water losses and manage the network effectively.

Whenever there is a breakdown to solve, you are there. Have you ever felt tired and thought, “Enough is enough”?

Throughout all these years, I have always worked with great dedication to solving problems, both operational faults and management issues. Whenever we have achieved positive results, I have felt satisfied with the work we have done, and the fatigue has felt much less important.

What is your message to young people who want to work in the water sector?

Young people who join UKT should first and foremost love this profession, because it is an honorable and respected one. At the same time, it is essential that they continue to develop their professional skills at every step, so that they can achieve the best possible results and find satisfaction in the work they do.

Anyone, young woman or young man, who joins this institution under the leadership of Director Shoshi will find not only a job, but a true school of professionalism, dedication, and values. I am convinced that they will learn to love UKT with the same passion that its current employees have for it.

Thank you!