The drinking water sector faces constant challenges of protecting public health from a growing number of existing and new water contaminants. Recent amendments in EU Drinking Water Directives, including the inclusion of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and bisphenol A (BPA), reflect the growing concern regarding the health impacts of contaminants known for their immunotoxic potential. These substances can disrupt the body’s ability to protect itself from infections and diseases and, depending on their concentrations, can pose significant risks to public health. Despite this, immunotoxicity is not yet a standard endpoint in chemical risk assessments for water quality because of limited regulatory requirements. This article emphasises the need to integrate immunotoxicity assessment into water quality assessments to enhance safety and better protect public health.

Why immunotoxicity matters
The immune system is essential for protecting the human body from infections and disease. It consists of a complex network of cells, tissues and organs that work together to defend the body against harmful substances and to remove damaged or abnormal cells.
When the immune system is impaired, the body becomes more susceptible to infections and other serious health conditions. This impairment, known as immunotoxicity, can be a result of exposure to certain chemicals that disrupt the normal functioning of the immune system. This can happen directly or indirectly.

Direct immunotoxicity occurs when a toxic substance directly damages components of the immune system (e.g., lymphatic nodes), often weakening its ability to protect the body from infections or abnormal cells, which can increase the risk of incidence of certain diseases such as cancers. Indirect immunotoxicity happens when alterations in other physiological systems (namely the nervous or hormone systems) indirectly affect the immune system (e.g., autoimmune disease induced by endocrine disruptors), disrupting its normal function. These systems work together in a complex manner to maintain a healthy immune response, and if one system is affected, it can impact the others.

Cumulative concerns
A key concern with immunotoxicity is its subtle and cumulative nature. Unlike acute health risks, the effects of immunotoxic chemicals often develop gradually, making them harder to detect early. Over time, these subtle compounding effects can lead to significant immune dysfunction. For instance, exposure to PFAS – compounds that are common in industrial discharges and detected in drinking water – have been linked to reduced vaccine effectiveness, lowered resistance to infections, and a higher risk of certain cancer types (EFSA, 2020). Similarly, bisphenol A (BPA) – widely used in plastics – is associated with endocrine disruption and an increased risk of autoimmune diseases (Chen et al., 2018).

Immunotoxicants pose an especially severe risk to vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems, particularly during critical developmental windows when the immune system is more vulnerable. These critical windows are moments when the immune system is developing specific cells or organs and establishing immune repertoires (T-cells and antibodies). Given the immune system’s vital role in maintaining overall health, immunotoxicity represents a significant public health concern. Therefore, identifying immunotoxic substances, understanding their long-term effects, and preventing their presence at harmful concentrations in drinking water and in other sources of exposure is critical to the protection of public health.

Immunotoxicity testing of contaminants
Chemical contaminants from industrial, agricultural and domestic sources are commonly present in drinking water sources. Monitoring these contaminants is essential to ensure the quality of water intended for human consumption.

Although many contaminants are regulated and anticipated by drinking water companies, others remain undetected, unquantified and toxicologically uncharacterised. This is particularly concerning for (potentially) immunotoxic contaminants, as immunotoxicity is not yet systematically considered when deriving health-based limits for chemical compounds, because of limited regulatory requirements.

While chemicals such as PFAS and BPA are increasingly recognised for their harmful effects on the immune system, many other substances are either inadequately studied during the authorisation phase or entirely overlooked in the context of water safety.
In the European Union (EU), the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals) mandates comprehensive safety assessments of chemicals. However, immunotoxicity testing is not routinely required. Immunotoxicity studies under REACH are only conducted when concern-driven scientific triggers arise, meaning potential immunotoxic effects may go unassessed.

Currently, water quality health limits are primarily based on toxicological risk assessments, considering endpoints such as carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, and organ-specific damage. However, there is still an unmet need for guidelines that also address immunotoxicity and the toxicity of other sensitive organ systems, such as the brain (neurotoxicity) and the endocrine system.

While standardised testing methods exist to assess the immunotoxic properties of individual chemicals for regulatory approval, standardised methods that can be incorporated into water quality assessments are lacking. A key difficulty lies in detecting low-level chemical mixtures in water, where multiple contaminants may interact in unpredictable ways.

There is a significant gap in understanding how these mixtures might affect the immune system compared with individual substances. A major complication is determining whether changes in immune system components, such as specific cells or proteins, actually indicate harm to immune function. This challenge applies to both individual substances and mixtures of contaminants, as well as variations in factors such as age and gender, with different methodologies potentially further complicating the process.

In addition, the immune system has built-in backup mechanisms that can compensate for damage, potentially masking the effects of immunotoxicity. This makes it difficult to establish clear, standardised guidelines for identifying and interpreting immunotoxic effects, as the immune system may adapt or compensate in ways that obscure the true extent of the damage.

Assessing risk
There is a tendency to assume that health effects are unlikely to occur at the low concentrations typically found in drinking water. But this perspective overlooks the potential long-term risks associated with low-level, chronic exposure to contaminants. Even at low concentrations, chemicals in drinking water, such as disinfection by-products or environmental contaminants, can accumulate in the body over time, potentially weakening the immune system and increasing vulnerability to infections or diseases. To address these gaps, there is a pressing need for water quality monitoring and risk assessment approaches that include immunotoxicity as an endpoint.

Emerging approaches
One promising approach to immunotoxicity testing is the evaluation of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs). AOPs are a framework for understanding how chemicals interact with biological systems, potentially leading to adverse health outcomes such as diseases (Nymark et al., 2021). AOPs map the sequence from a chemical’s initial interaction with the body, referred to as a molecular initiating event (MIE), to its final adverse impact on health, the adverse outcome (AO), through several intermediate key events (KEs). A single MIE can trigger a cascade of downstream KEs, which can diverge and lead to various toxicological outcomes (Spinu et al., 2019). Alternatively, multiple MIEs can converge into a single adverse outcome.

In the context of drinking water, prolonged low exposures to contaminants can lead to MIE, which may contribute to KEs, leading ultimately to AOs. For example, drinking water containing organohalogen disinfection by-products (DBPs), such as chloroform, trichloroacetic acid, and trichlorophenol, has been linked to mitochondrial toxicity (McMinn et al., 2019). The key event in this case is the excessive production of free radicals (reactive oxygen species), which can overwhelm the body’s antioxidant defences, leading to oxidative stress and associated cellular damage.

Despite this growing understanding of how contaminants trigger these molecular mechanisms, the application of AOP frameworks to immunotoxicity is still limited. New approach methodologies (NAMs), which include non-animal testing methods, such as in vitro bioassays and computational models, can play a critical role in bridging these gaps by providing the tools to assess key events within AOPs.

Operational approaches
AOPs may seem very technical and difficult to integrate into the daily operations of water quality managers. However, gaining a basic understanding of key concepts such as MIEs and KEs, which trigger adverse effects such as immunotoxicity, can be highly useful. This knowledge can help inform risk management decisions and assumptions, guiding more effective strategies for managing water quality across various environments, including drinking water, surface water, groundwater and wastewater.

Effect-based monitoring (EBM), for example, has gained recognition as a valuable approach for evaluating drinking water quality, complementary to chemical analytical approaches.
EBM refers to a set of bioanalytical tools (bioassays) that assess water quality by capturing the combined effects of the complex low-level mixture of known and unknown chemicals present in water, if they are active in the applied bioassays. This approach is particularly important given the complex mixtures of chemical contaminants found in water bodies, which traditional targeted chemical analyses may not be able to capture adequately.

Knowledge of AOPs can aid in identifying the most relevant effect-based method to detect immunotoxic or other effects of low-level chemical mixtures in water. In addition, it can support the establishment of effect-based trigger values (EBTs), which are used as benchmarks to assess potential health risks and guide regulatory decisions to ensure drinking water is safe. This enables water companies to implement more focused and efficient monitoring strategies, especially when time, budget or resource constraints are present. Prioritising bioassays based on AOPs may ensure that the most adequate bioassays provide relevant information based on the most critical indicators.

Integrating immunotoxicity into water quality monitoring
To address the limitations of conventional effect-based monitoring techniques in detecting the specific immunotoxic effects of complex mixtures of legacy and emerging contaminants, there is a pressing need to make use of immunotoxicological information of individual substances – and relevant mixtures – and consider integrating immunotoxicity testing methods into the routine evaluation of drinking water sources. The following recommendations outline a clear path forward:

Implementation of a tiered approach to testing, starting with broad screening bioassays and moving to more detailed studies on high-risk contaminants. This will help prioritise which chemicals to focus on, based on their potential to affect immune health.

Establish EBTs for chemical mixtures with immune effects. EBTs are the thresholds that indicate whether a chemical concentration requires further investigation. This will enable quicker decision-making when assessing water safety using effect-based methods.

Prioritise substances not routinely tested for immunotoxicity, from sources such as chemical industries, pharmaceuticals and microplastics, based on factors such as environmental persistence, potential for human exposure, and possible health risks.

Develop scientifically validated testing protocols for immunotoxicity aligned with both next generation risk assessment (NGRA) and water quality monitoring, to ensure that practices reflect the latest advancements in immunotoxicological science.

Further research to develop standardised immunotoxicity bioassays for drinking water.

Conclusion

Immunotoxicity is an essential, but overlooked aspect of drinking water safety and chemical safety in general. Chemicals that disrupt the immune system may not show immediate effects, but their long-term impacts can be adverse, especially for vulnerable populations.

The lack of standardised methods for detecting immunotoxicity in water emphasises a significant gap in current water quality practice, which leaves the public’s health at potential risk from contaminants via this route. While it is not yet definitively established whether immunotoxic effects from drinking water are likely or widespread, certain populations may be more susceptible to potential risks. With emerging contaminants posing new challenges, it is crucial that water utilities continue to take proactive measures to assess and mitigate risks, including those resulting from exposure to immunotoxic contaminants. Collaboration between scientific researchers and water utilities is crucial for conducting research that addresses knowledge gaps about the immunotoxic potential of emerging water contaminants.

Acknowledgement
The research presented in this article was funded by the Waterwijs collective research programme of Dutch water companies, Flemish water company De Watergroep, and the Association of Drinking Water Companies, the Netherlands (Vewin).

More information
Chen, Y., Xu, H. S., & Guo, T. L. (2018). Modulation of cytokine/chemokine production in human macrophages by bisphenol A: a comparison to analogues and interactions with genistein. Journal of Immunotoxicology, 15(1), 96-103. doi.org/10.1080/1547691x.2018.1476629

EFSA (European Food Safety Authority). (2020). Scientific opinion on the risk to human health related to the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances in food. EFSA Journal, 18 (9): 6223, 391pp. doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6223

McMinn, B., Duval, A. L., & Sayes, C. M. (2019). An adverse outcome pathway linking organohalogen exposure to mitochondrial disease. Journal of Toxicology, 2019, 1–24. doi.org/10.1155/2019/9246495

Nymark, P., Sachana, M., Leite, S. B., Sund, J., Krebs, C. E., Sullivan, K., Edwards, S. W., Viviani, L., Willett, C., Landesmann, B., & Wittwehr, C. (2021). Systematic organization of COVID-19 data supported by the Adverse Outcome Pathway Framework. Frontiers in Public Health, 9. doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.638605

Spinu, N., Bal-Price, A., Cronin, M. T. D., Enoch, S. J., Madden, J. C., & Worth, A. P. (2019). Development and analysis of an adverse outcome pathway network for human neurotoxicity. Archives of Toxicology, 93(10), 2759–2772. doi.org/10.1007/s00204-019-02551-1

The authors: Sanah Majid is a scientific researcher and toxicologist, Daniel Duarte is a scientific researcher and project leader, and Tessa Pronk is a scientific researcher, all at the KWR Water Research Institute;
Corine Houtman is a toxicologist at Het Waterlaboratorium and VU University;
Insam Al Saify is a toxicologist at Waternet;
Merijn Schriks is a specialist drinking water quality toxicologist at Vitens;
Janine Ezendam is Head of the Department of Innovative Testing Strategies at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment;
Raymond Pieters is Associate Professor at Utrecht University and full Professor at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences;
Milou Dingemans is Chief Science Officer and Principal Toxicologist at KWR Water Research Institute and guest researcher at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University;
All are based in the Netherlands

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‘Inspiring’, ‘exciting’, ‘enhancing’ and ‘enlightening’ – these were some of the words used by the first cohort of IWA’s LeaP Leadership Programme for Young Water Professionals (YWPs) about their immersive retreat in the stunning Malaysian state of Sabah, in the northern part of the island of Borneo, on 19-22 November 2024.

The retreat is the centrepiece of this new programme, which will culminate in attendance at the 2026 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE) in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. The group gathered in Sabah comprised: Bénigne Ishimwe Mugwaneza, Rwanda; Chotiwat (CJ) Jantarakasem, Thailand; Federick Pinongcos, USA; Igor Luketina, Austria; Laurence Strubbe, Switzerland; Linda Li, Canada; Matthew MacRorie, UK; Natalie Páez-Curtidor, Colombia; Oscar Timothy Balongo, Tanzania; Shivon Mehta, India; Yaw Abrampah, Ghana; and Yumeng Zhao, China. 

The retreat provided space in a rich environment for this diverse group of YWPs to stretch themselves, collaborate, share experiences, and challenge themselves and their ideas. With a location famed for its mountains, beaches, rainforest, coral reefs and abundant wildlife, much of which can be found in its parks and reserves, this was a retreat that fed the senses and called on the YWPs to adapt to an environment outside of their comfort zones.

Elevating the most talented

LeaP encourages a cohort of 12 exceptional YWPs to embark on a transformative journey to professional empowerment, helping them each to realise their full potential and expand their horizons. 

The programme provides successful candidates from diverse backgrounds and regions with the opportunity to forge robust professional networks and enhance their leadership skills over a 12-month period, through an immersive programme that provides a springboard for their careers and, with it, their personal and professional development. What makes this programme unique is that it’s not just about learning – it is about living the experience and empowering the individual to effect meaningful change. Fuelled by curiosity and courage, participants are advised to prepare to be challenged, rewarded and empowered as they elevate their strategic vision and leadership capabilities.

IWA is investing in the leaders of tomorrow

Supported by the Emerging Water Leaders Endowment Fund, the LeaP programme aims to nurture the leadership of high-potential YWPs by: 

• Transforming their leadership – empowering them to think and act globally 
• Building their confidence to inspire and influence others – accelerating their impact at a local, societal and global level 
• Providing the opportunity for them to learn how to adapt and thrive in ambiguous, complex and fast-changing environments
• Strengthening their foundations for future success by overcoming personal or professional barriers
• Raising their impact and visibility within IWA, with the potential to take on leadership roles in the Association over the coming years.

Providing structured learning, the programme consists of: a four-day retreat; four hours a month of preparation and project time; five hours a month in virtual learning, coaching or project team meetings; a virtual workshop in September 2025; and attendance at the 2026 WWCE.

Marking an important step in advancing IWA’s vision to build a deeply committed and connected group of future leaders, this innovative programme aims to accelerate the professional development and growth of the participating YWPs, promising to: 

• Stretch participants’ leadership skills, while helping to build a diverse group of Alumni IWA leaders, connected and engaged with IWA
• Combine inspirational thinking from specialist speakers and leadership experts, by providing deep personal learning through targeted topics, a powerful strengths diagnostic tool, and self-managed projects aided by challenge and support from facilitators, coaches and peers
• Encourage diversity of thought, perspectives, cultures and backgrounds to ensure that the richness of the group’s global and diverse experience is maximised.

This rich and aspirational programme is led by a Programme Committee made up of key IWA members, who will contribute to the programme by getting involved in the community sessions, working as project guides, and providing advice on the delivery of the programme.

Immersive retreat

The LeaP retreat in Sabah was a powerful four-day experience that combined radical self-inquiry, practical skills, shared learning, and meaningful conversations. Held at an eco-literacy campus set in 34 acres of natural beauty, the location featured a guest house providing communal living and powered by solar energy, and using rainwater harvested from its rooftops.

This unique retreat was relaxed and informal. Standing apart from more traditional IWA events, it provided a safe environment to explore ideas and support rich learning. A key focus of the event was on aligning ‘who you are’ with ‘how you lead’ while fostering space for growth and connection.

This began with participants reflecting on the profound notion that ‘change begins within ourselves’. These reflections culminated in setting clear intentions for the next 12 months of the programme. Participants explored pathways for personal and collective transformation, using tools such as the Logical Levels of Change (LLOC), a powerful framework for examining human experiences, and the Situation-Behaviour-Impact-Action (SBIA) Feedback Model.

Community-led engagement

On day two of the retreat, participants spent the day with leaders of the villages of Kg Kolosunan, Kg Babagon Toki and Kg Tampasak – three communities profoundly impacted by the construction of the Babagon Dam in the 1990s. 

The YWPs heard first hand how the dam submerged entire homes, displaced families and disrupted livelihoods. While the Babagon Dam now provides 57% of the state capital Kota Kinabalu’s clean water, these communities remain excluded from its supply, relying instead on traditional gravity-fed water systems.

However, this is also a story of resilience. These communities are now at the heart of Forever Sabah’s Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) pilot project, which champions the protection of the Babagon Watershed and the creation of a Babagon Catchment Water Fund. This initiative aims to compensate the communities for their environmental stewardship while fostering sustainable socioeconomic development.

This led to a workshop where the YWPs collaborated, constructing 3D models of communities in three different geographical realities, based on reflections and discussions around the following important questions: Who was missing from the picture, and is this a sustainable reality, or do things need to change? The exercise sparked deep discussions about inclusivity, equity, and the importance of holistic approaches to water management.

The day was filled with powerful conversations, emotional reflections, and inspiring stories of hope. It reminded all of the participants that water is about more than infrastructure – it’s about people, partnerships, and creating a future that leaves no one behind.

Reflecting on these activities, a key takeaway that resonated throughout the group was that leadership is about people. It’s about listening to their concerns, fostering resilient communities, and tackling challenges with an open mind.

The participants also explored what these insights mean for IWA YWPs and the broader IWA network, and joined in their commitment to raising awareness, sharing their learnings, and fostering change. The concept of the ‘Window of Tolerance’ sparked meaningful discussions. When challenges arise, many of us tend to panic or shut down. Mastering the ability to function within this ‘window’ is crucial for approaching difficult situations with clarity and balance.

The final day of the retreat marked the beginning of an exciting year ahead as participants embarked on collaborative projects designed to address critical water challenges and strengthen their leadership journey. The participants selected the following three themes on which to focus their projects:

• Pollution and Contamination Control
• Circular Economy in the Water Sector
• Achieving SDG 6.1 and SDG 6.2.

So, what’s next?

Over the course of the programme, participants will tap into the power of the IWA network, supported by the Programme Committee and project coaches, to make a tangible impact in the water sector.

Key features of the programme include:

• Coaching sessions enabling participants to discuss their strengths with experienced coaches and explore how these can propel their leadership journey
• Masterclasses focused on essential leadership topics, such as influencing with impact and leading in uncertain environments
• IWA Communities Insights sessions providing opportunities for engaging discussions with influential IWA members shaping both the Association and the water sector
• Mentoring sessions offering participants the chance to interact with mentors from within the IWA community, gaining valuable guidance and insights

Influencing with Impact Programme

On 16 January 2025, participants attended the first masterclass of the Influencing with Impact Programme. Expertly moderated by Sally Domingo-Jones and Henri Stevenson, from The Oxford Group, the session equipped LeaP’s YWPs with essential skills to master the art of influence.

The session began with an inspiring update from the first cohort, who reflected on their journeys since the retreat in Borneo. Building on their experiences, the discussion delved into the following key objectives:

• Identifying who and what they need to influence
• Recognising stakeholder personality preferences and needs
• Adapting their influencing style – one size does not fit all
• Developing soft skills to engage stakeholders effectively
• Applying these insights to real-world scenarios.

Participants also engaged in breakout discussions, exploring challenges to effective influencing and strategies for adapting their approach based on stakeholder personalities and their own strengths.

The ball is rolling!

Empowering the next generation of water leaders is at the heart of IWA’s mission, and this masterclass was a step towards shaping confident and impactful professionals. We wish them good luck and we look forward to seeing the development of this exciting new programme! 

More information

iwa-network.org/iwa-leap-leadership-programme

Emerging Water Leaders Endowment Fund

Announced at IWA’s World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE) held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2022, the Emerging Water Leaders Endowment Fund was launched with a generous donation of $1 million by former IWA President Glen Daigger and his wife, Patty. As an endowment, the fund aims to create a lasting legacy dedicated to supporting activities that bring about meaningful change in the lives of Young Water Professionals (YWPs).

The endowment fund has been invested, and the returns are being used in IWA’s new LeaP Leadership Programme. Officially started in November 2024, LeaP is supporting high-achieving YWPs – providing mentoring and leadership training – helping them to build their professional networks within the global water community. 

LeaP empowers YWPs to realise their full potential and make a greater impact on vital water issues. Through the programme, participants gain a strong foundation in leadership and management skills, which promises to help fast-track their professional development and benefit the water sector through their diverse experience and knowledge – gaining a breadth of expertise that will be critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Develop Goals (SDGs).

While LeaP is already transforming the careers of 12 YWPs from diverse backgrounds, it is critical that the endowment fund continues to thrive and grow. The fund provides an outstanding opportunity to invest in a sustainable, equitable and resilient water future. 

IWA is calling on everyone who can to consider making a donation. Whether your gift is large or small, your donation will be used to support IWA’s vision of creating a network of exceptional water professionals striving for a world in which water is wisely, sustainably and equitably managed. If you are interested in contributing to the fund, please see the IWA website www.iwa-network.org

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More than half the world’s population live in urban areas. Many growing towns and cities, especially in the Global South, are marked by inadequate sanitation, sewage and drainage facilities. With 3.5 billion people still lacking access to safe sanitation, most national and global sanitation drives have tended to focus on toilet construction, sewer connections and hardware. These have often ignored the second and third generation challenges of sanitation concerning water contamination, poor faecal sludge management, gender, equity and sustainability.

Yet, these challenges can also be an opportunity. Human waste is rich in water, nutrients and organic compounds, but, usually, this mostly goes down the drain. The increase of extreme weather events, water shortages, and weak infrastructure mean that ‘flush and forget’ systems are not always possible or desirable in off-grid settings. This is why the project ‘Towards Brown Gold’ sought to understand the potential for reuse of faecal waste and how marginalised communities experience sanitation in five rapidly urbanising areas across four countries: Nanded and Alleppey, India; Mekelle, Ethiopia; Wa, Ghana; and Gulariya, Nepal. The research was both inter- and trans-disciplinary, seeking to integrate the social sciences, engineering, microbiology and creative arts to understand the socio-political, technical, cultural and microbial processes and contexts of sanitation and waste processes.

A springboard for progress

Northern European countries have been piloting new approaches at increasing scale. According to the Toilet Board Coalition, the sanitation crisis can enable innovation and provide resources for a trillion-dollar global industry. In India alone, the predicted market for waste recovery and reuse is as large as $9–28 billion. 

Contextual challenges

Despite this potential, the ‘Towards Brown Gold’ project found that the challenges of resource recovery from human waste might have been underestimated. The potential for reuse was found to be limited by the combined challenges of the existing sanitation infrastructure, pervasive cultural perceptions, a lack of cross-sector collaboration, and a narrative that exaggerates the benefits of the circular sanitation economy and endorses a market driven approach to sanitation.

Moreover, for reuse efforts to be successful and perceived as relevant by communities, they need to happen in a context of high sanitation coverage or come with a wider push to ensure everybody has access to sanitation. In reality, access to safely managed sanitation services was found to be lagging across the countries studied. Progress is particularly slow among groups marginalised because of their caste, class, gender and migration history. 

Sanitation progress is often hampered by insufficient resources that are skewed towards centralised sewered systems, unclear roles and responsibilities, and poor intersectoral collaboration across water, health, urban and rural development. 

Steps to success

The policy brief from the ‘Towards Brown Gold’ research project highlights six ways decision-makers can realise the potential for resource recovery from human waste and accelerate progress towards universal, safely managed sanitation in rapidly urbanising areas:

Make safely managed sanitation a political priority

National and urban level governments need to create, reform and implement policies, strategies and regulations to ensure there is sufficient funding and resources so that everybody has access to a toilet at home, and that faecal waste is managed in a way that protects public health and the environment. Acknowledgment of the global prevalence of non-sewered systems is central to the revision of policies and plans. Particular attention should be put on reaching and involving communities and residents who are poor and marginalised by society, such as those living in informal settlements.

Facilitate inclusive sanitation planning

Urban planners and policymakers need to address the multifaceted challenges of sanitation in an inclusive way, recognising the historical and social contexts of sanitation issues, and how communities who are marginalised experience sanitation. These communities’ voices and demands must be central to the planning process, and to holding authorities and service providers to account.

Protect the rights of sanitation workers

Governments need to properly recognise the crucial roles of sanitation workers – those emptying septic tanks and pits, unblocking sewers or operating treatment plants – in keeping sanitation services running and their towns and communities clean and liveable. Recognising their work includes protecting their rights to fair wages, social security, safety at work and self-organisation (such as with unions). Sanitation efforts must always include the health, safety and dignity of sanitation workers, both formal and informal.

Cautiously promote the circular sanitation economy

Reusing treated faecal waste, such as for irrigation or as compost, has positive impacts for the economy, the environment and climate change mitigation and adaptation. This circular sanitation economy can help accelerate progress, but overselling its benefits can be counterproductive, undermining the message that public investment is critical to ensure sanitation services for all. The promotion of the circular sanitation economy should instead be: realistic about the benefits and the many challenges involved; aware of community priorities; and integrated into a wider sanitation push to close any gaps in access to toilets and to address the whole sanitation service chain.

Ground reuse efforts in the context

Those designing and leading sanitation circular economy initiatives should ensure that their efforts are grounded in local, economic, social and cultural contexts. This includes considering economic aspects such as where farmers buy compost, or whether other product types could be more profitable. This should also include social aspects such as cultural perceptions of waste, or how to effectively raise awareness of the benefits of reuse. Engaging an interdisciplinary team is an effective way of doing this, combining natural and social sciences, as well as art-based approaches to community engagement.

Reform policy to enable reuse

Decision-makers need to invest in understanding and improving the enabling environment for sanitation in general, and reuse in particular. Policies and regulations should create positive incentives to reuse and eliminate existing barriers.

Overall, there is a need for policy and political reimagination to radically consider alternative models and increase financial allocations and commitments to safely managed sanitation solutions that are sustainable and inclusive for all.

More information

washmatters.wateraid.org/publications/towards-brown-gold-challenges-opportunities-reuse-universal-sanitation-urban-areas

The authors:

Lyla Mehta is a Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies and a Visiting Professor at Noragric, Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Andrés Hueso González is senior policy analyst – sanitation at WaterAid; Alan Nicol is principal researcher at the International Water Management Institute; and Ben O’Donovan-Iland is communications and impact officer at the Institute of Development Studies

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At its core, a strategic plan is a bold act of vision – a bridge between where we’ve been and where we dare to go next. With IWA’s new Strategic Plan for 2025–2030, we are not merely continuing our journey; we are opening a dynamic new chapter, shaped by ambition and guided by purpose. 

We’ve built this plan on a strong and proud foundation. For more than 75 years, IWA has been a global leader, powered by the passion and dedication of its members. Our last Strategic Plan, from 2019 to 2024, delivered remarkable results. Membership grew by 26%. We welcomed 14 new Governing Members, expanding our leadership community from 51 to 65. The number of our Young Water Professional (YWP) chapters more than doubled – from 22 to 50 – creating new spaces for the next generation of leaders to thrive. 

We also broadened our global footprint, significantly strengthening our presence in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Along the way, we launched bold and meaningful initiatives – from Digital Water and Climate Smart Utilities to Inclusive Urban Sanitation. These successes didn’t happen by chance. They were driven by you – our members – and by the power of our connected, collaborative network. 

What sets IWA apart is the way we bring people together. We are nimble, open and deeply collaborative. This spirit lives within a culture grounded in diversity, equity and inclusion – where every voice, across genders, generations and regions, has a clear path to leadership in our Association. Now, we carry that spirit forward, with renewed focus and shared purpose, into the future we are ready to shape – together. 

From vision to action 

This new Strategic Plan lands at a crucial moment, not just for IWA, but for the global water sector. The year 2030 looms large on the horizon, especially as the deadline for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. That urgency is reflected in our new plan, which was formally endorsed by the Governing Assembly during last year’s World Water Congress & Exhibition in Toronto, Canada. 

Importantly, this plan is more than a vision – it’s a call to action. To turn ambition into action, the IWA Secretariat has developed a detailed operational plan that sets out how we will deliver on the strategy. This roadmap was reviewed and unanimously approved by the Board in February, reflecting their strong endorsement and shared commitment. It now provides a clear framework that guides the Secretariat’s work and defines the path ahead. But its success depends on the energy, engagement and leadership of you – our members. Your involvement is not just welcomed; it’s essential. Together, we will bring this strategy to life. 

So, what’s different this time around? In many ways, our core identity hasn’t changed – we’re still a global network committed to sustainable water solutions – but the scale of our ambition has grown significantly. We’ve sharpened our focus on climate action, equity, digital innovation and cross-sector collaboration. And we’ve done so through 23 specific strategic goals that reflect not just where the world is going, but where IWA can lead. 

Leading the change 

Let’s start with a major ambition: establishing IWA as the global home for water and sanitation utilities. This is about much more than engagement – it’s about relevance. We’re creating dedicated programming for utilities at our Congresses, launching a Global Water Utilities Summit, and developing practical support for utilities facing today’s operational and climate-related challenges. New credentialed training and certification programmes will equip professionals with the skills they need to thrive. This all builds on the momentum we’ve created through initiatives such as Climate Smart Utilities, reinforcing our commitment to sector-wide transformation. 

Alongside this, our Global Sanitation Initiative aims to elevate sanitation within the sector – and in the global conversation. Through a science-based Knowledge Hub, a new Global Sanitation Summit and targeted advocacy, we’ll put sanitation where it belongs: front and centre. And we are helping shape the post-2030 water and sanitation agenda, ensuring Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2 remains a global priority. 

We’re also deeply focused on the people who power our network. For our Governing Members around the world, we’re introducing a Charter, new engagement tools, and a recognition programme that will showcase active members and the local initiatives they champion. New digital dashboards and annual action plans will support shared accountability and track our collective progress. We’ll also launch a focused outreach drive to welcome more Governing Members from currently underrepresented regions. 

Equity, diversity and inclusion remain at the heart of our work. We’re strengthening the IWA Women’s Leadership Network, giving women across the Association greater opportunities for visibility, mentoring and leadership – across every programme, from sanitation to digital water. 

And for our YWPs, we’re doubling down – expanding mentorship, leadership pathways and support for YWP Chapters, especially in underrepresented regions. Initiatives such as our LeaP Leadership Programme and the Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship are just the beginning. A new digital tracking platform will help YWP Chapters monitor progress, share learning and stay connected. 

Another exciting frontier is cross-sector influence. Water connects to everything – agriculture, energy, industry – and we’re ready to expand our reach. A new initiative will build partnerships with key industries, sharing IWA’s expertise in reuse, low-carbon treatment, resource recovery and digital optimisation, to drive sustainability across sectors.  

A stronger, smarter network 

To thrive as a network, we need to be more connected, inclusive and digitally empowered. That’s why we’re transforming member engagement through smarter tools and more meaningful experiences. 

Our Connect Plus platform is evolving into an interactive hub where members can connect via a global map, searchable directory and real-time messaging. New virtual networking events, digital competitions and focused micro-communities will bring members together around shared interests and regional priorities. 

A standout initiative is the Digital Ambassadors Programme, designed to empower emerging leaders – especially those facing barriers to in-person participation. By providing training in digital engagement, content creation and personal branding, we’ll help these ambassadors build influence, lead virtual events and represent IWA’s mission across platforms. Their voices and stories will be elevated through IWA channels, helping shape a more inclusive and globally connected water community. 

Equally important is how we recognise contributions. Whether mentoring, sharing knowledge or leading discussion, members will be celebrated through spotlight features, digital tokens and recognition across IWA platforms. Gamified experiences will offer points, badges and new ways to showcase professional engagement. 

Innovating how we learn and meet 

Knowledge is at the heart of IWA – and we’re taking a leap forward with this core dimension. AI will help us make insights more accessible, with multilingual translations, clear audience-specific summaries, and interactive formats tailored for policymakers, operators, students and others. 

Our conferences are being reimagined as smart events. AI will support programme design, reduce content overlap and deliver personalised session recommendations. Real-time feedback tools will let us adapt and extend high-interest sessions on the fly, making the experience more relevant and dynamic for everyone. 

And, yes, The Source is getting a digital refresh. Our flagship publication will feature multimedia summaries, tailored content and AI-powered tools for easy, on-demand access – in multiple languages and aligned to member interests. 

Turning strategy into action 

Great plans are only as powerful as the people who bring them to life. While the Secretariat is already hard at work delivering the roadmap, the real momentum will come from you – our members – turning ambition into action across every corner of our network. 

This strategy was shaped through your insight, energy and ideas. Governing Members, Specialist Groups, YWPs and partners from around the world all contributed to its development. That same spirit of shared leadership now needs to carry us forward. 

So, this is our invitation: get involved. Whether it’s leading a local activity, mentoring a future leader, contributing to a Specialist Group or amplifying our voice in your region – your action will help shape the impact we make together. 

There’s space for every kind of contribution. And there’s no better time to step in. This Strategic Plan is an ambitious statement of intent. It’s about how we lead, how we connect, and how we shape the future together. What comes next will be defined by our collective commitment – by how we show up, share knowledge, collaborate across borders, and keep equity and innovation at the centre of all we do. 

So, I invite you to step in. Be part of what comes next. With your energy, your voice and your leadership, I believe we can do something truly transformative.  

Together, we are ready! 

The author: Kala Vairavamoorthy is the CEO of the International Water Association 

IWA Strategic Plan 2025-2030 

Our vision  

A world in which water is wisely, sustainably and equitably managed. 

Our mission 

To grow and empower a member network of water and allied professionals, channelling the network’s energy and insights to: develop and disseminate knowledge and good practices; drive innovation, build capacity and nurture leadership; and support action by the global community on the SDGs and climate change, and preparations for the post-2030 agenda. 

IWA in five years’ time – our objectives 

Driving change: Uniting voices for water sustainability 

Sustain a vibrant, diverse membership across IWA’s spectrum of water interests, promoting connectivity, inclusivity, impact, influence, professional growth, and shared success within the global water community. 

Elevating water wisdom: Leading the charge for sustainability 

Solidify our role as a trusted authority and global hub for water knowledge, adeptly addressing and raising awareness on core water supply and sanitation needs, of wider emerging trends and issues, and championing sustainable outcomes worldwide through pioneering thought leadership and impactful programmes. 

Empowering solutions: Tailored content for the global water sector 

Have diligently curated and delivered an expansive spectrum of professional content and programming, bolstered by empowering our members and precisely tailored to meet the evolving demands of the water sector around the world. 

Global collaboration for water innovation and leadership development 

Leverage the participation of global leaders in research and practice in its network, to drive water sector innovation, advancing governance and partnerships to achieve this, while at the same time supporting strengthening of sector capacity and leadership to facilitate tangible progress. 

Navigating the world’s water challenges: Leading advocacy and collaboration 

We will strengthen our position as a leading advocate for water within global communities, prioritising informed action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate change, while also preparing for the post-2030 agenda, by fostering a secure environment for sharing water management knowledge and celebrating impactful collaborations. 

The post A new chapter begins appeared first on The Source.

Following successful development and implementation, Portuguese drinking water utility guas do Douro e Paiva (AdDP) has established an innovative use for sludge achieved through a process that it is looking to further refine. The utility is responsible for collecting, treating and distributing drinking water to 22 municipalities and, working with its partner BMI CT Cobert Telhas, has established use of sludge as a feed for a building product as part of optimising sludge processing at its main water treatment plant (WTP). The utility is now considering how this approach could be rolled out across its other WTPs and sees potential for this approach to be adopted as a sludge solution around the world. 

The utility supplies 1.8 million people with drinking water, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Its main and most emblematic facility, the Lever Water Treatment Plant (WTP), is considered one of the best of its kind in Europe and is responsible for treating water for more than a million and a half inhabitants – 85% of the population covered by AdDP’s entire system – producing around 100 million m3/year.  

Lever WTP employs sophisticated treatment technology, enabling it to produce around 400,000 m3 of water per day, ensuring the supply of safe, sustainable, high quality water. 

The waste challenge 

Water treatment produces clarification sludge, which if disposed to landfill comes at a high environmental and financial cost. So, AdDP established a project to find a sustainable solution. As a result, the facility’s sludge is now being used as a raw material in the production of roof tiles. 

From waste to building material 

A research project was developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), the Technological Center for Ceramics and Glass, and partner company BMI CT Cobert Telhas. The project studied various alternatives with the aim of preventing the sludge produced at Lever WTP being disposed to landfill. 

Industrial-scale tests were conducted, along with analysis of the impact of the gas emissions produced from the process of incorporating sludge into raw building materials. It was concluded that the incorporation of sludge into brick manufacturing and, later, CE-marked tiles was feasible. 

The scale of the process 

In one of the stages of the Lever WTP, flotation and filtration occur in CoCoDAFF (Counter Current Dissolved Air Flotation and Filtration) units, where filter backwash water and surface-collected sludge are sent to the sludge treatment unit. There, they are dehydrated and processed by thickening and centrifugation. With an annual average of 1500 tons of dehydrated sludge, with 85% humidity, this sludge represents 77% of the total waste produced by AdDP. 

Now, 100% of this sludge is recovered for the production of roof tiles, in an innovative operation that demonstrates that sludge need not be treated as an expensive waste product to be disposed of, but rather a resource that can be recovered as a sustainable material for use in the building sector. In 2006, water clarification sludge from Lever WTP ceased to be waste. To date, around 25,000 tons of sludge have been recovered, which has resulted in a total saving of around €1.25m of landfill disposal costs.  

Currently, around 15 million roof tiles are manufactured each year using AdDP’s water treatment sludge, with nearly 1800 tons of sludge producing 14 million roof tiles in 2024. 

Production challenges 

Sludge production can vary according to the characteristics and volume of the water being treated. However, constant procedural adjustments ensure that the characteristics of the sludge do not vary significantly, with one of the most important parameters being humidity. 

On average, the sludge produced at Lever WTP has the following characteristics: 

• 85% humidity 

• Organic fraction of about 26% of the dry sludge 

• Metals – the high concentration of aluminium is the result of the use of an aluminium-based coagulant. This is a positive outcome, indicating that through this process the aluminium is being retained in the sludge rather than being present in the treated water.  

Environmental benefits 

When sludge is disposed to landfill, aluminium can leach into watercourses, resulting in contamination if not treated. With the valorisation of the sludge, the aluminium becomes incorporated into the material of the tiles, making it impossible for it to transfer to the environment. 

Circular economy approach 

Aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this pioneering project provides an innovative example of the circular economy and environmental sustainability that can be applied in a wider context. Yet, to date, AdDP is not aware of a similar project in Europe or the world. 

Nationwide, thousands of tons of sludge are produced in Portuguese WTPs and sent for landfill disposal. This project highlights how AdDP has found an environmentally favourable alternative for the sludge produced at its largest WTP.  

This pioneering eco-innovation project contributes to Portugal’s national circular economy strategy and has proven to be sustainable, fostering synergies between companies from diverse sectors in the use and recovery of waste. 

The key achievements of this project are: 

• The elimination of the environmental impacts associated with sending sludge to landfill 

• Valorisation of the company’s main waste stream 

• Increased circularity by incorporating waste as a raw material for a ceramic product 

• Financial savings in terms of waste management. Currently, around €70,000 per year is invested in maintaining the project. 

The production of roof tiles from water clarification sludge reflects AdDP’s commitment to the circular economy and to minimising and recovering waste from its activities. 

The project has increased circularity in the water sector in Portugal, has proven to be sustainable over the years, and has created a success story in the circular economy that has great potential to scale up. 

Today, AdDP continues to incorporate all of the sludge produced at Lever WTP into the production of ceramics. To develop this project further, AdDP maintains its partnership with BMI CT Cobert Telhas, to support the environmental and economic interests of both parties in this project. The synergy between the two companies has resulted in a continuous search for process improvements to drive the efficiency of the product. 

Project recognition 

In 2022, this project was highlighted in the first report of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Observatory as a national example of good practice with regards to the targets set in SDG 12 to ‘Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns’.  

As a project that can be replicated in other countries in Europe and around the world, this innovation serves as an inspiration to all nations that want to take preventative action against environmental impacts. Such adoption of environmentally responsible practices gives rise to renewed hope for the future, promoting the transformation towards a sustainable economy and ensuring a better quality of life for generations to come.  

In 2024, this project was the National Winner of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) in the category of ‘Supporting the Sustainable Transition’ and represented Portugal in the final contest in Budapest, Hungary. The project was also presented at the COP29 Summit held in Baku, Azerbaijan.  

At a time when environmental concerns have increased globally, this project has made an important contribution to the environment and climate. Therefore, and due to its extraordinary environmental and economic impact at national level, the project has received continuous recognition from the media, with its story being widely disseminated. 

Following the successful development and implementation of this project, AdDP has achieved a sustainable destination for its sludge, which it is looking to further optimise by working with its partners in the ceramics industry. It continues to optimise sludge production by investigating new dewatering processes and is considering using a similar approach at other WTPs. This is a project that has the potential to be replicated at other similar facilities around the world and proves that the challenge of taking sludge from a waste product to a valuable asset is achievable. 

The authors: 

Ana Cardoso is area manager, Ana Costa is Lever WTP production manager, and João Ferreira is production coordinator at AdDP, Portugal 

The post From waste to roof tiles – adopting a circular economy approach appeared first on The Source.

A business-as-usual scenario to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) related to water would not see West Africa achieve access to a universal safe water supply until 2112, warned Saroj Kumar Jha in his Plenary Keynote at IWA’s World Water Congress & Exhibition, held in Toronto, Canada, last year. 

This shocking figure he attributed first to a lack of global political attention. Travelling across the world in his role as Global Director and Head of Water Global Practice for the World Bank, he noted that, when meeting Prime Ministers, Presidents and Ministers of Finance, water is rarely on their agenda. With the water access gap widening rather than closing in most African countries, Jha’s concern was that, by the 2030 deadline set to achieve the SDGs, the developing world is likely to have more people without clean water and sanitation than at the beginning of this decade. 

Lack of investment 

Citing the results of the World Bank’s Public Expenditure Review, published ahead of the 10th World Water Forum in 2024, Jha highlighted the extremely low levels of investment in water from the 130 developing countries analysed. On average, the review found that the government spend on water of the countries assessed was just 1.2% of annual budget, compared with 5% on transport, 4% on agriculture, and “much larger volumes on energy”, with Jha cautioning that “there are countries in Africa and Asia that were found to have spent less than 0.5% of their annual budget on water”. His opening message to delegates was that it is extremely important “that we collectively continue to make a strong political case on why governments should invest in water” if there is to be any traction on the goal of delivering global access to safe water and sanitation. 

Limited technology take-up 

The second key factor to the success of this goal is the adoption of technology to enable water and sanitation services to be rolled out at scale. Jha said that, of all the work in which the World Bank is engaged – across the many areas of economies where the government and private sector are working together – the level of technology penetration in the water sector is one of the lowest. “Technology is the multiplier factor in terms of the scale and impact that we want to see – cutting down the costs and increasing the impact,” he said. “If we do not bring technology into the water sector then we have a serious problem.” 

Gaps in governance and capacity 

He considered the third challenge to be governance, which he regards as the most important concern, because of the lack of a unified approach to handling water as a resource across different levels of government, in different countries. This is coupled with a lack of capacity within water organisations. Jha explained: “I was recently visiting a large municipality trying to see how the water supply and sanitation is managed. This is a very large municipality of 400,000 people. I asked the water officer showing me around how many staff they have to manage the water for 400,000 people. She answered one and a half – the second person only worked part-time.” 

Poor regulation 

Progress is further stymied by lack of regulation. Jha said: “Most developing countries either do not have a regulator or they have a regulator in name only, so they do not have the level of autonomy, capacity, and independence that they need to be able to regulate properly.” 

Turning to the World Bank, he said: “Our scorecard on financing water is less than promising. Like governments, we work in many different areas. Has water really been a priority for us? It is really not in terms of our total volume of financing. It will come 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th from the top.” 

Evolution roadmap 

Amid this challenging picture, Jha sees hope in the reform of the multilateral development banks to provide more support to developing countries to deal with the multiple crises thwarting progress. “At the World Bank we call this an evolution roadmap, to do everything possible to provide more resources, knowledge and financing to countries to try to deal with all these challenges,” he said.  

As part of this process, the World Bank Group adopted a new vision last year. Jha explained: “Our vision before was ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity. That has been revised to ending poverty on a liveable planet.” Here, a liveable planet is defined as a planet where people have access to clean water, clean air and clean energy. Jha explained that this new approach has been a gamechanger. He said: “We are seeing the impact of this change across the organisation and at all levels of our leadership. It has become so much easier for me to engage with our leadership about water. People can see the connection that when you work on water you help fulfil the vision and mission of this multilateral organisation.”   

In addition, recognising that many countries are experiencing the dual challenge of water scarcity and a water access gap, the World Bank launched the Fast-track Water Security and Climate Adaptation Global Challenge programme. This aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge by providing an accelerated pathway supported by traditional financing from the World Bank and other multilateral development banks, and using these resources to leverage further investment from the private sector. 

Singapore knowledge hub 

To bolster resources in terms of expertise, the World Bank has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Singapore government and established the Singapore Water Center – launched through a partnership between the World Bank Group and the government of Singapore – which serves as a pivotal initiative dedicated to advancing global water management practices. Fostering innovation, knowledge exchange, and capacity development among policymakers, utility managers and stakeholders in the water sector, the Center aims to address pressing water security challenges, both regionally and globally. 

Route to success 

Returning to his opening message calling for a continued and collective push to make the political case for water and sanitation, Jha said: “Today, nobody needs to be told the importance of investing in climate resilience. So, now is the time for the water sector to double down on this and really make a case for why water is so important for economic development and for protecting development gains, and to ensure that the poor do not slide back even further when disasters hit.” 

Ending on a note of hope, Jha described himself as optimistic that global leaders can change the trajectory with regards to universal access across water supply, sanitation and irrigation, and, with this, protect communities from extreme events caused by water-related disasters. By bringing together key stakeholders, encouraging governments to establish national water platforms, and taking a more unified approach to the challenges of our times, he believes that we can seize the opportunities offered by improved resource management, new thinking on urban water management, and new processes for water reclamation and reuse.  

Although the challenges are great, so are the rewards. The take home from Jha’s Plenary Keynote was that now is the time to shift the narrative from failure to success by moving from the current model to smarter routes of finance and delivery, to ensure that populations across the world receive access to safe water and sanitation in a timely and sustainable fashion. 

The post Accelerating access appeared first on The Source.

There is a growing need for more sustainable and resilient cities because of increasing population and climate change. Within this context, informed decision-making should employ advanced tools that combine real time sensor data gathering, advanced analytics, and model-based capabilities to simulate ‘what if’ scenarios. A ‘digital’ or ‘virtual’ twin of a defined system can fulfil these requirements. 

The digital twin (DT) philosophy is not new. It has been used since the 1960s by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA, because of the need to remotely operate and maintain systems – although the twin developed then was physical rather than virtual. As an example of its usefulness, NASA was able to successfully perform the rescue of the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission thanks to its twin on Earth.  

The DT concept gained recognition in 2002 through the work of the internationally renowned expert Michael Grieves. Initially, the DT aimed to optimise the life-cycle of a product in relation to its design and manufacture process, together with the subsequent maintenance required during its lifetime. According to Grieves, a virtual twin model must contain three main parts: the physical assets, a virtual model, and the connections of data and information that tie virtual and real spaces together. 

DTs are not only useful in industry; they can also be developed and exploited within a city management context, particularly in the drinking water supply system. While the majority of these systems have been implemented in the industrial sector, particularly in the manufacturing, aerospace and defence industries, there has been a notable increase in their use in the water sector.  

A DT should replicate real system behaviour in a virtual model, serving as the basis for experimentation – i.e., a virtual copy of reality that allows any simulation under any condition to be performed. In the case of water systems, a complete DT would be a virtual replica of all the processes that take place from the water source to the user’s tap and, finally, to the natural environment, where the water is returned. The great advantage of a DT is the complete and holistic vision it provides, so having a DT of the integral water cycle would be the desirable final objective, enabling more efficient decision-making that takes into account all of the variables involved, knowing the overall impact of decisions across all processes. For example, a DT can demonstrate how an improvement in the level of leakage or the addition of new infrastructure would affect the quality of the service provided in terms of water pressures and water quality, network operation, overall energy consumption and raw water treatment. However, this is not as straightforward as it may seem because of the number and complexity of the processes that take place in the water cycle. 

Deployment strategy 

One strategy is to create a DT of each stage of the water cycle (drinking water treatment, water distribution networks, wastewater networks and wastewater treatment) or specific processes within them, with the ultimate aim of interconnecting all the DTs, considering that outputs of some DT processes can be used as inputs for others. However, it is essential that the DT is built on a solid technological base in order to ensure scalability. 

A DT can be used for a variety of purposes. Indeed, it can be used to solve and address many of the problems related to water systems management, including, among others, energy optimisation, water quality improvement, water loss reduction, early anomaly detection, and decision support in emergency conditions. In any case, a DT will always enable better understanding of a system’s operation, helping to improve its operation and design to achieve the different objectives set. 

Before deploying a DT it is essential to define achievement objectives. To do so, it is important that the water company’s challenges and needs are fully explored. Following this analysis the scope of the DT can be defined – i.e., the water cycle or the part of it that should be included in the DT, as well as the capabilities it should offer. It is important to highlight that DTs can evolve and grow. So, a DT may start deployment with some specific objectives (e.g., early warning systems or energy optimisation) and scope (e.g., the water distribution network or even just the transmission line system) and develop to respond to further objectives and broader scope. 

Audit data and tools 

The next step is to define the data required, which will depend on the scope and objectives to be covered by the DT. The type of data required can be static (related to physical assets) or dynamic (real time data). Most of the time they are located in different isolated systems within the company (e.g., Geographic Information System, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, Computerised Maintenance Management System) or in external systems (e.g., weather forecasts). If this is not the case, a plan should be put in place to collect the necessary data. As the DT must be built on solid foundations, it is necessary at this point to have a platform capable of integrating all the data coming from the different sources, and to have procedures in place to guarantee the life-cycle of the data, from its acquisition to its consolidation on the platform.  

It is important to stress, and not to overlook, the importance of having procedures in place in the utility to ensure the collection of ‘manual’ data in systems such as GIS or CMMS, as well as the collection of automatic information, such as that sent by sensors, where the correct choice of sensor, communication system and maintenance is particularly important. It is impossible to build a DT mirror of the real system if it has been built and continuously fed with incorrect data. 

The objectives to be covered by the DT and the complexity of the process to be replicated will also define the simulation model, which may be physics-based (hydraulic models), data-based or both. In whichever case, a platform must enable models to be built or imported and connected to data, ensuring that the connection is live and maintained over time. It is also important to define the information that the DT will offer, its interactions and user interface. 

Throughout this process, it is important not to forget that the DT has to be adopted by people, so they have to be involved in the process from the beginning. In fact, the adoption of a DT must be part or a consequence of a digital transformation of the utility. This implies a new way of working across the utility. 

The scale of the challenges for the water sector can only be overcome by a combination of technology, engineering principles, and the experience and expertise of its people. DTs are very much about people and processes, as well as technology. A DT is unique because it provides a holistic view, bringing together different technologies, data and, most importantly, promoting transparency and collaboration, breaking down silos of data and knowledge. 

The author: Dr Pilar Conejos is a member of IWA’s Digital Water Programme Steering Committee. She is Digital Twin Product Manager at Idrica and was previously responsible for network control and operation for Greater Valencia at Global Omnium. She is also a part-time professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, Spain. 

The author is grateful to Global Omnium and Idrica for the opportunities to put this technology and philosophy into practice. 

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IWA’s 2024 Digital Water Summit (DWS) was held in Bilbao, Spain, on 12-14 November. This third edition was a pivotal event that saw digital twins (DTs) emerge as a central theme, reflecting their growing influence in the revolution of global water management. 

In recent years, the water sector has witnessed an explosion of digital tools, from Building Information Modelling (BIM) to DTs, transforming how utilities and industries manage water systems. However, keeping pace with these rapid developments requires collaboration, and events such as the DWS provide a crucial platform for experts, utilities and technology providers to come together, exchange knowledge and address the sector’s most pressing challenges.  

Digital water solutions, particularly DTs, are increasingly recognised as essential to tackling global water needs, allowing water professionals to visualise and quantify challenges, optimise water resource management, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance wastewater treatment. By integrating real-time monitoring, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques, DTs enable more precise control over water environments, supporting more sustainable and resilient water systems.  

Demystifying the digital journey 

Several technical presentations made at the summit dived into the topic of DTs. An important presentation, with the cryptic title of ‘Shedding Light on the Trees in the Forest of Digital Tools’, was delivered by Wim Audenaert, from AM-Team, Belgium. This focused on demystifying the concepts behind DTs and clarified the differences between knowledge-driven and data-driven models, with the aim of helping industry professionals understand how these frameworks function and where they can be applied most effectively. As the sector continues to embrace digital transformation, this session played a critical role in equipping participants with the knowledge to navigate the evolving digital landscape.  

Digital optimisation 

Another standout presentation was ‘Next-Gen Water Management: Case Studies in Computer Vision & Digital Twins’, delivered by Sergi Baena Miret and Carlos Carmona Vázquez, from Cetaqua Barcelona, Spain. This session explored how Aigu¨es de Barcelona is leveraging DTs and AI to enhance water management through its digital laboratory initiative. The presentation highlighted two real-world applications where DTs have been successfully integrated to improve process monitoring and enable the early detection of problems in wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. By showcasing how these technologies predict water quality issues and optimise asset management, this presentation provided a clear demonstration of the tangible benefits DTs offer in improving operational efficiency and sustainability.  

DTs also featured prominently in discussions concerning climate goals. In particular, in the presentation by James Ballard, from Severn Trent Water, and Jeremy Black, from AtkinsRéalis, both based in the UK, titled ‘Net Zero – Do Digital Twins Have a Role to Play?’. As the water sector strives to achieve net zero, there is a growing push to integrate low-carbon technologies across wastewater infrastructure. This presentation discussed how DTs can model entire water systems to assess carbon performance, optimise operations, and balance emissions reduction with operational costs and regulatory compliance. These insights underscored the critical role of DTs in shaping a more sustainable and cost-effective approach to wastewater management.  

Abi Croutear-Foy, from AquaWatch Solutions, New Zealand, took a practical approach in her presentation, titled ‘Practicality in Innovation: Digital Twins of Waterways for Effective and Fast Improvement’. She emphasised how DTs powered by real-time data provide immediate insights into water conditions, allowing utilities to respond proactively to emerging issues. Rather than focusing purely on innovation, her session illustrated how DTs serve as essential tools for day-to-day decision-making, improving water quality and long-term resource management.  

Melissa Parot, from Suez, France, and Guillaume Rondot, from Optimatics, UK, expanded on the practical applications of DTs in their presentation titled ‘Suez Digital Twins: Actionable Insights Connecting Long-Term Strategy with Daily Operations to Drive Real-World Decisions’. They demonstrated how Suez employs DTs, combined with a geographic information system (GIS), hydraulic models and real-time data, to help utilities optimise network performance, detect leaks and make informed investment decisions. By presenting case studies on clean water network maintenance and flood prevention, they showcased how DTs are bridging the gap between strategic planning and daily operations.  

Finally, Nikhilesh Kumar, from Vassar Labs, India, presented ‘Digital Platform for Driving Climate Resilient Water Security’, which showcased aquaWISE, a cloud-based platform that integrates the Internet of Things (IoT), AI and ML, satellite data, and DTs. His session focused on how this platform supports utilities and policymakers in optimising reservoir operations, reducing non-revenue water, and improving regulatory compliance. By offering a data-driven approach to climate resilience, aquaWISE exemplifies how DTs can play a crucial role in enhancing water security and sustainability.  

Showcasing innovation 

The success of the 2024 DWS was reflected in the overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants. In the post-event survey, 95% of respondents reported being satisfied to extremely satisfied with the event, highlighting the high quality of discussions, the relevance of topics covered, and the invaluable networking opportunities provided. The summit not only reinforced the transformative potential of DTs, but also demonstrated the industry’s eagerness to embrace digital solutions. Through expert-led discussions and real-world case studies, the event showcased how DTs are revolutionising water management, making operations more efficient, sustainable and resilient. By bringing together utilities, technology providers and thought leaders, the summit facilitated vital collaboration and knowledge exchange, ensuring that innovation continues to drive progress in tackling global water challenges. 

The author: Samuela Guida is IWA’s Strategic Programmes and Engagement Manager 

IWA’s Digital Water Programme 

IWA’s Digital Water Programme promotes dialogue on digitalisation in the water sector, providing a platform for water utilities to share experiences of their digital transformation journey. 

The programme serves water utilities in several ways depending on their digital maturity: 

• As a starting point to initiate dialogue on digital water 

• As a mechanism for learning about the application of digital solutions 

• As a platform to share experiences on digital transformation in the water sector. 

Be part of the digital transformation 

IWA members can join the IWA Digital Water Group on the Connect Plus membership platform (connectplus.org) and contribute to innovation, knowledge and best practices around digitalisation. Add to the discussion by sharing case studies, writing blogs, producing videos and podcasts, or proposing ideas for webinars and white papers. 

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Established in August 1924, WABAG (now VA Tech WABAG) has a rich history that spans more than a century, offering a range of sustainable water technology solutions focused on conservation, optimisation, recycling and the reuse of resources. 

As it celebrates its centenary (see panel, ‘Celebrating a century of environmental stewardship’, on page 32), the company is delivering projects that highlight the important role of industry in exploiting the potential of water reclamation and reuse, and the technology options for achieving this. One of the latest projects is a water reclamation and reuse facility in Ghaziabad, India. 

Ghaziabad water reclamation and reuse project 

The 40,000 m3/d Tertiary Treatment Reverse Osmosis (TTRO) plant in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, is a landmark initiative under the Hybrid Annuity Model, embodying a circular economy approach to wastewater management. A testament to WABAG’s ‘Manufactured Water’ concept, the plant provides industries with a viable, reliable, and sustainable water source by treating municipal used water. Using ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO), the facility produces high-quality non-potable water, supplying nearly 1500 industries in the Sahibabad Industrial Estate through a dedicated transmission and distribution network. 

By reducing dependence on groundwater, the plant conserves more than 14 million m3 of freshwater annually, directly addressing the city’s severe water stress.  

Classified as a ‘dark zone’ by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the region has faced declining groundwater levels, making this initiative crucial for long-term sustainability. With an 80% offtake guarantee, the project also ensures financial viability while offering industries a cost-effective and reliable alternative. 

The TTRO plant reduces discharge of sewage into the Hindon river and smart water systems enable real time monitoring, optimising consumption and minimising wastage.  

Environmentally and financially sustainable 

The Ghaziabad TTRO contract guarantees a 15-year water supply for industries, demonstrating resilience against water scarcity. Operating under a zero-extraction policy, it ensures compliance with local and federal regulations. And from an economic point of view, the plant offers water at a cheaper price (INR 41/m3 which is equivalent to €0.45/m3) than comparable facilities, making it financially attractive for industries. In addition, the mandated use of TTRO-treated water aligns with national and global water security goals, promoting awareness of sustainable water usage and setting a precedent for cities worldwide looking to embrace sustainable, technology-driven water management solutions. 

Another of WABAG’s showcase projects is the largest centralised zero liquid discharge (CZLD) plant in the Indian steel industry. This project sets a significant precedent in reducing the sector’s reliance on freshwater sources. 

Nagarnar Centralised Zero Liquid Discharge Project 

The 4320 m3/day CZLD plant at Nagarnar, Chhattisgarh, is a benchmark initiative in India’s steel industry and a major step towards sustainable water management. Developed by WABAG for NMDC (formerly the National Mineral Development Corporation), with Mecon India as the project consultant, the plant enables comprehensive recycling of industrial wastewater through an advanced treatment process, reinforcing WABAG’s circular economy approach. 

The facility treats effluent from 15 different sources within NMDC’s 3 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) integrated steel plant, including five high total dissolved solids streams and complex pollutants such as cyanides, thiocyanates, oil and grease, and organic compounds. Using a combination of membrane-based treatment and multiple effect evaporation (MEE), the plant achieves an impressive 90% water recovery rate. The recovered water is reused within the plant’s cooling system, significantly reducing reliance on freshwater sources. 

Additionally, the MEE system crystallises salts from reject streams, minimising waste and enhancing process efficiency. This closed-loop solution eliminates discharge to the environment and ensures compliance with increasingly stringent environmental norms. 

Environmentally and financially sustainable 

Commissioned in 2023, the facility faced considerable challenges, including the treatment of effluent streams with thiocyanate concentrations of around 600 ppm and chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels close to 800 ppm – among the most difficult to manage during commissioning. However, with a robust treatment train comprising a high-rate solid contact clarifier, a dual media filter, an activated carbon filter, UV disinfection, UF, RO, and MEE, the plant delivers consistent performance. 

With rising water scarcity and growing regulatory pressure, the CZLD plant ensures uninterrupted steel plant operations under a zero-discharge policy. It serves as a scalable model for similar industrial ecosystems looking to enhance water efficiency, minimise environmental impact, and embrace a future-ready, sustainable approach to resource management. 

The authors: Dr Josef Lahnsteiner is Director of Technology and R&D, WABAG Group, and BK Kumaran is Head of the Technical Support Team and Commissioning at VA Tech WABAG 

Celebrating a century of environmental stewardship 

“For 100 years, WABAG (now VA Tech WABAG) has been a global force in water sustainability, delivering solutions that secure resources, protect ecosystems, and foster economic growth. This journey has been shaped by a deep commitment to environmental stewardship, ensuring that water remains accessible, reusable, and responsibly managed. 

From building water and wastewater infrastructure that touches millions of lives daily, to enabling industries and cities to thrive, WABAG has played a pivotal role in addressing water and sanitation challenges. This legacy has left a lasting impact on communities worldwide, ensuring access to clean water and strengthening water security. 

At WABAG, we believe water is too precious to be used just once. This philosophy has driven us to champion the ‘Manufactured Water’ concept – turning seawater and wastewater (used water) into viable and sustainable resources.  

Our plants operate on a resource recovery model, ensuring that used water is no longer a liability, but a valuable asset. By integrating advanced desalination, used water treatment and water reuse technologies, we reduce freshwater dependency, conserve groundwater, and minimise environmental impact. 

As we look ahead, our commitment to pioneering innovation and sustainable water solutions remains firm. With more than 6500 plants across 25 countries, we continue to push boundaries in ‘manufactured water’, circular economy-based resource recovery, energy efficient technologies, and climate resilient infrastructure. Our mission is clear – to create a water-secure world, where every drop is valued, treated, and reused responsibly. 

For WABAG, the past century has been about preserving resources, protecting the environment and powering economies. The next century will be about amplifying this impact, continuing to innovate, lead and build a sustainable future for generations to come.” 

Rajiv Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, VA Tech WABAG 

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‘Global research agenda for antimicrobial resistance in human health’ is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest research agenda aimed at providing guidance for progress on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The publication highlights the improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH) – along with wastewater management – that will be critical for the prevention of infection and a reduction in the spread of AMR. To address this, the new research agenda states two (out of a total of 40 priorities) for ‘WASH in communities’ and ‘WASH in health care settings’. These are:

• To investigate the impact, contribution, utility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of interventions to ensure safely managed WASH and waste management practices in community settings to reduce the burden and drivers of AMR, such as unnecessary antibiotic use for diarrhoeal diseases in low- and middle-income countries.
• To investigate implementation strategies for WASH-related interventions in health care settings (including ensuring access to safely managed water and sanitation, safe hand hygiene, safe management of waste and environmental cleaning), and assess their impact, acceptability, equity, and cost-effectiveness on the burden and transmission of resistant health care associated infections and antimicrobial medicine prescribing across socioeconomic settings.

Further water related research priorities include the investigation of the factors that are driving colonisation and infection, including sanitation infrastructure, and the identification of optimal surveillance methods to generate reliable data on AMR.

Progressive agenda

A comprehensive work outlining top research priorities for tackling AMR, the agenda focuses on infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria and fungi using robust validated methods from a list of systematically identified research topics.

Grounded in the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, a resolution endorsed by the 68th World Health Assembly in 2015, this research agenda gives particular focus to the Global Action Plan’s objective to strengthen knowledge and evidence through surveillance and research. In addition, it responds to WHO’s mandate to develop a global public health research agenda that fills key gaps in knowledge around AMR.

Global urgency

AMR poses a considerable threat to human health, with an estimated 4.95 million deaths associated with bacterial AMR in 2019 alone. Mortality rates from infections with resistant organisms impact low- and middle-income countries disproportionately. In addition to this serious cost to human health, AMR is also associated with substantial costs to the global economy. This is predicted to reach $100 trillion by 2050 if no action is taken, according to the 2016 report of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance titled ‘Tackling drug-resistant infections globally: final report and recommendations’. A further report in 2024 titled ‘Towards specific commitments and action in the response to antimicrobial resistance: recommendations for consideration by UN Member States’ states that treating people with resistant bacterial infections may cost $412 billion annually by 2035, with an additional $443 billion per year in productivity losses.

To address these concerns, the WHO AMR report calls for more research, along with the optimisation of current tools to support the implementation of evidence-based policies and interventions for AMR, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Research agenda goals

The aim of WHO’s AMR research agenda is to identify and give priority to research topics with the greatest impact on mitigating AMR in the human health sector. Critical for the guidance of policymakers, researchers, funders, industry and civil society – and necessary for the generation of new evidence to inform AMR policies and interventions – this report is global in scope and focuses on AMR in the human health sectors. Particular attention is given to infections caused by the WHO bacterial priority pathogens, including drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the WHO fungal priority pathogens, such as Candida auris, Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans.

The research agenda was developed through an adapted Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method, in close collaboration with a multidisciplinary Research Agenda Expert Group on AMR. In the first phase, 2340 knowledge gaps were identified through a systematic search of peer-reviewed and grey literature, screening 8409 documents published in the past 10 years. In the second phase, with technical input from a multidisciplinary Research Agenda Expert Group and based on input from a global consultation, these knowledge gaps were further consolidated into 175 research topics.

In the final phase, the Research Agenda Expert Group was invited to assess each of the 175 research topics against five criteria: filling critical knowledge gaps; answerability and feasibility by 2030; potential for translation into policy; impact on mitigating AMR; and promoting health equity. A research priority score accounting for the opinion of all individual experts was calculated to identify the top 40 research priorities, with 33 pertaining to AMR in bacteria and fungi and seven relating to drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Continuity of learning

Aiming to foster research by 2030 – in accordance with the timeline of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and catalyse scientific interest and investment among the scientific community, WHO recommends that the current list of research priorities be further translated into tangible, concrete research proposals that are fundable and implementable in settings with limited resources.

By providing the latest guidance on priorities for research, WHO’s new research agenda plays a critical role in the evolving picture around this serious global health issue. This latest publication on AMR follows the organisation’s 2023 policy brief ‘Global research agenda for antimicrobial resistance in human health’, which became the focus of academic research in the renowned, medical journal, The Lancet, in 2024. It is likely that this new guidance will become a key focus for a range of professionals and drive progress in this growing health concern that is impacting populations across the world.

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