IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2026: Glasgow to Host the World’s Water Leaders

Five-day global congress unites utilities, researchers and innovators under the theme ‘Water action – the path to resilience and prosperity’

Glasgow, Scotland – The International Water Association (IWA) will bring its flagship World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE) to Glasgow from 4 to 8 October 2026, gathering utility leaders, researchers, policymakers, and technology innovators from across the global water sector. Held under the theme “Water action – the path to resilience and prosperity,” the five-day event combines an extensive technical programme with keynote plenaries, forums, a full trade exhibition, technical tours, and a packed social calendar.

Background

The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition is one of the water sector’s most significant recurring global gatherings, organised by the International Water Association to showcase state-of-the-art knowledge and practice across drinking water, wastewater, utility management, and sustainable water resources. Each edition is shaped by an expert global Programme Committee that curates presentations, workshops, and posters selected for their relevance to pressing challenges facing the sector.

For its 2026 edition, the Congress moves to Glasgow, Scotland, positioning the event within a city and country recognised for water innovation, climate leadership, and infrastructure expertise through host utility Scottish Water. The choice of theme, focused on resilience and prosperity, reflects growing global urgency around climate adaptation, ageing infrastructure, water quality threats such as PFAS, and the sector’s push toward net-zero and circular-economy approaches.

Key Dates

• Operations Challenge entry deadline: 10 August 2026
• Congress opens: 4 October 2026
• Project Innovation Awards gala: 6 October 2026
• Operations Challenge live event: 6-7 October 2026
• Cultural Evening at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum: 7 October 2026
• Gala Dinner at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC): 8 October 2026
• Congress closes: 8 October 2026

Technical Programme: The Core of the Congress

At the heart of WWCE 2026 is a comprehensive Technical Programme featuring more than 100 technical sessions and over 60 workshops, spread across multiple parallel tracks throughout the week. Presentations, workshops, and posters are all selected competitively by the Programme Committee to ensure delegates get access to the latest advances from across the water sector.

The Congress technical programme is structured around six overarching themes:

• Water Utility Management
• Wastewater and Resource Recovery
• Drinking Water and Potable Reuse
• City-scale Planning & Operations
• Communities, Communication & Partnership
• Water Resources & Sustainable Development

Within these themes, some of the specific topics expected on the agenda include:

• Circular economy approaches, resource recovery and reuse
• PFAS and other emerging water quality challenges
• Net-zero and carbon-neutral urban water services
• Wastewater surveillance
• Digital technologies, including AI and IoT, in water management
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Nature-based solutions
• Decentralised water and sanitation treatment solutions
• Water quality monitoring and early warning systems
• Resilience planning across the water cycle

Forums, Plenaries and Cross-Cutting Sessions

Beyond the technical sessions, WWCE 2026 will feature agenda-setting forums, keynote plenaries, and cross-cutting sessions and workshops designed to address emerging issues facing the sector at a strategic level. These sessions sit alongside the trade exhibition, business forums, technical tours, and the Operations Challenge, rounding out a programme built to deliver value across every type of delegate, from technical specialists to utility executives and policymakers.

Women in Water Programme

A dedicated Women in Water programme runs as a core feature of the Congress across the full five-day event, spanning the exhibition floor with a range of activities aimed at career development and sector inclusion. The programme includes:

• Panel events and fireside chats focused on career development and people-centred leadership
• Skills-focused workshops designed to build belonging and equity across the sector
• Networking meet-ups fostering allyship and international connections
• Technical tours and challenges, including site visits across the Scottish Water estate and participation in the Operations Challenge

Operations Challenge

Taking place on 6 and 7 October 2026, the Operations Challenge is a flagship feature of the Exhibition, led by Skewb and Capgemini and designed to showcase operational skills in water utility work, both now and in the future. Teams interested in taking part are encouraged to register their interest early to secure a place.

Project Innovation Awards

Presented biennially at the World Water Congress, the Project Innovation Awards celebrate excellence and innovation across water management, research, and technology. The 2026 awards will recognise pioneering projects that demonstrate impactful, scalable, and forward-thinking solutions to global water challenges, spanning categories in utilities, applied research, technology innovation, and performance excellence.

The submission portal for the 2026 awards opened on 24 February 2026 and closed on 27 March 2026; the evaluation process is now underway. Winners will be announced at a special gala event on 6 October 2026 in Glasgow, in front of an international audience of water sector leaders.

Social Programme: Cultural Evening and Gala Dinner

WWCE 2026 also features a full social calendar for delegates. The Cultural Evening will be held on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, from 7:00pm at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, with tickets limited to 500 guests as a paid add-on for registered Congress delegates. The Gala Dinner follows on Thursday, 8 October 2026, from 7:00pm at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, with a smart-comfortable dress code. Both events are available for purchase through the event registration portal and are open exclusively to Congress delegates.

Technical Tours

Technical Tours form a critical part of the Glasgow Congress, giving delegates a hands-on look at water and wastewater innovation across Scotland. Delegates can choose from a range of excursions and site visits, including:

• Glasgow’s water supply, Loch Katrine, and the Steamship Sir Walter Scott
• New innovations at Winchburgh Waste Water Treatment Works, plus the Falkirk Wheel
• Glasgow’s Smart Canal, showcasing city growth and climate adaptation
• Edinburgh’s water supply, Glencorse Water Treatment Works and Reservoir, and Scottish Water’s largest sampling lab, Juniper House

Full details on booking, additional costs, and confirmed dates for each tour will be released closer to the event.

Conclusion

With its blend of a rigorous technical programme, high-level forums, an integrated trade exhibition, hands-on technical tours, and a strong focus on inclusion through the Women in Water programme, the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most comprehensive gatherings yet for the global water sector. As Glasgow prepares to welcome delegates from around the world this October, the Congress offers a timely platform to advance solutions for climate resilience, water quality, and sustainable infrastructure under the shared banner of water action for resilience and prosperity.

Source: IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition official programme page (worldwatercongress.org). For registration and the latest programme updates, visit the official Congress website.