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The International Water Association’s World Water Congress & Exhibition 2026 is scheduled for 4–8 October at Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus (SEC). Its theme is “Water action – the path to resilience and prosperity,” and its programme brings together technical sessions, workshops, leadership forums, an exhibition and planned site visits. The IWA forecast about 10,000 participants in an announcement published in 2025; that is an advance estimate, not a confirmed attendance count.
What is the Glasgow water conference?
The event is the 15th edition of the International Water Association (IWA) World Water Congress & Exhibition. The IWA describes it as an international gathering for professionals working across the water cycle, including utility leaders, researchers, government and NGO representatives, technology providers, consultants and people from related sectors. It is scheduled for 4–8 October 2026 at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The official event site and IWA’s announcement identify the event and its location.
The congress theme is “Water action – the path to resilience and prosperity.” It frames a programme focused on practical and policy questions across water services and resources; it is an event theme, not a statement that particular agreements or outcomes have already been reached.
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The organiser lists more than 100 technical sessions and over 60 workshops across six broad themes, with keynotes, plenary panels, posters, technology showcases, leadership forums, a trade exhibition and technical tours. The figures describe the listed programme, not the number of sessions ultimately attended or completed.
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Six technical themes
- Water utility management.
- Wastewater and resource recovery.
- Drinking water and potable reuse.
- City-scale planning and operations.
- Communities, communication and partnership.
- Water resources and sustainable development.
Examples of subjects under discussion
Topics listed by the organiser include circular economy and resource recovery; PFAS and other water-quality challenges; net-zero and carbon-neutral urban water services; wastewater surveillance; artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things in water; antimicrobial resistance; nature-based solutions; decentralised water and sanitation treatment; monitoring and early-warning systems; and resilience planning across the water cycle. These are programme topics, not conclusions or policy commitments.
Which leadership forums and summit are planned?
The programme names recurring forums for utility leaders, international water regulators, emerging water leaders and groundwater. It also includes host-led forums on landscape-scale climate and nature resilience, bioresources, rainwater management and One Health. The programme page describes these as parts of the congress schedule.
An invitation-only event, the “Glasgow Summit on Water for People: From Commitment to Delivery,” is intended to connect global practitioners with the process leading to the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi and to examine policy priorities against implementation challenges. This describes the organiser’s stated purpose; it does not establish what the summit will deliver.
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What can visitors see at the exhibition or on tours?
The integrated trade exhibition and business forums are intended to let delegates meet commercial and non-commercial organisations and discuss developments, projects, services, research and strategic direction. The organiser advertises free registration for trade visitors to access the exhibition and business-forum sessions; entry terms can change, so consult the exhibition page for current registration details.
Planned technical tours cover Glasgow’s water supply and Loch Katrine, wastewater-treatment innovation, the Smart Canal, and water supply and treatment facilities in Edinburgh. The event site says tour dates, reservations and possible additional costs would be confirmed in updates, so those logistics should not be treated as settled.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How large is the event expected to be?
The IWA announced an expectation of about 10,000 participants for Glasgow in 2026, in a statement published on 12 August 2025. That is a forecast, not a final count. The Glasgow event site separately displays historical figures for the 2024 congress in Toronto:
| Measure | 2024 Toronto congress | 2026 Glasgow |
|---|---|---|
| Participants | 7,000, historical figure displayed by the Glasgow event site | About 10,000 expected, an IWA forecast published in 2025 |
| Presenters | 900+, historical figure displayed by the Glasgow event site | Not stated as a comparable final figure |
| Sessions | 200+, historical figure displayed by the Glasgow event site | More than 100 technical sessions are listed in the programme |
| Exhibitors | 250, historical figure displayed by the Glasgow event site | Not stated as a comparable final figure |
| Posters | 400, historical figure displayed by the Glasgow event site | Not stated as a comparable final figure |
The Toronto totals describe the previous event, not Glasgow. They also use different categories: for example, the 2024 figure is for sessions, while the Glasgow programme specifies technical sessions. No verified final Glasgow attendance count is available before the event begins. The figures are shown on the event site and in the IWA announcement.
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