Around 10,000 water professionals are expected in Glasgow this week as one of the sector’s largest international gatherings puts climate resilience, resource recovery and emerging technologies at the centre of discussions.
The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition is taking place from 4–8 October at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), marking the first time the event has been held in Scotland. Organised by the International Water Association (IWA), the biennial congress brings together utilities, researchers, technology providers, regulators, policymakers and investors from around the world.1
Under the theme “Water action – the path to resilience and prosperity”, this year’s programme spans the full water cycle, with technical sessions addressing wastewater and resource recovery, drinking water and potable reuse, utility management, urban water systems and water resources.
Scheduled topics include the use of AI and the Internet of Things (IoT), water-quality monitoring and early-warning systems, decentralised treatment, PFAS and other emerging contaminants, wastewater surveillance, and approaches to achieving net-zero urban water services. Circular-economy approaches to recovering water, nutrients and energy are also among the programme’s principal themes.2
An accompanying exhibition, featuring more than 350 brands across 10,000 square metres, is showcasing technologies and services including membrane systems for desalination and reuse, smart metering and leakage control, pipe renewal, industrial wastewater reuse and smart utility infrastructure.3
The event takes place against a backdrop of water utilities facing the combined pressures of climate change, ageing infrastructure, population growth and rising demand. For Scotland, organisers are also using the congress to examine how a traditionally water-rich country can prepare for greater variability in rainfall and more frequent extremes of drought and flooding.
Scottish Water chief executive and Congress co-president Alex Plant said the gathering provided an opportunity to move beyond conventional approaches to water and wastewater management.
“Water underpins public health, thriving communities, environmental resilience and economic prosperity,” he said. “Yet across the world we face growing pressures from climate change, population growth and increasing demand.”
He added that the congress offered an opportunity “not only to discuss those challenges but to accelerate practical solutions”.4
A series of specialist forums reflects an emphasis on interventions extending beyond conventional treatment infrastructure. A Landscape-scale Climate and Nature Resilience Forum on 5 October is examining nature-based approaches and catchment-scale planning, while a forum on 6 October will consider ways of managing rainwater closer to where it falls, including approaches intended simultaneously to reduce flood and overflow risks and improve water availability.
Further sessions will consider the recovery of energy and nutrients from wastewater-derived bioresources, and the links between water quality, human and animal health and antimicrobial resistance.5
Scottish Water is also using the event to showcase domestic infrastructure and innovation, including through technical visits to projects and facilities. The utility has highlighted its recently completed £235 million project connecting the Glasgow and Ayrshire water networks, designed to strengthen security of supply for around one million people, as an example of the long-term infrastructure investment required to improve resilience.6
The Glasgow congress is the 15th edition of the event and follows the 2024 gathering in Toronto. Alongside the technical programme and exhibition, it includes keynote sessions, technology showcases, leadership forums and a high-level summit intended to feed practical experience from the water sector into preparations for the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi.
Notes
[1] International Water Association, “IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition”, Glasgow, 4–8 October 2026; [2] IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, “Programme Overview”, 2026; [3] IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, “Exhibition”, 2026; [4] Scottish Water, “Scotland hosts one of the world’s largest water events as global leaders tackle climate and growth challenges”, 1 October 2026; [5] IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, “Forums and Summit”, 2026; [6] Water Magazine, “Scotland hosts one of the world’s largest water events as global leaders tackle climate and growth challenges”, 5 October 2026.
