We are delighted to announce the upcoming Conference of the UK Wastewater Network set to take place at 91麻豆 University on 2 December 2025.
Overview
This conference marks the 13th in an annual series addressing innovative treatment options for wastewater treatment. Building on two successful editions — Ammonia (2023) and Bioresources Management (2024) — this year’s event will spotlight projects funded by Ofwat’s Innovation Fund, which is driving groundbreaking work across the sector.
Water utilities face converging pressures: ageing assets, climate volatility, tighter nutrient limits, net-zero commitments, affordability, and growth. This focused conference creates space to test practical responses—energy-positive treatment, manging emissions, resource recovery, and safe reuse—against real operating constraints. It convenes water utilities thinkers and practicians, technical teams, scientist, researchers, regulators, and suppliers to examine data integration, interoperability, compare pilot evidence, and translate lessons into scalable approaches. Site visits and early-career contributions surface tacit knowledge and future skill needs. The result is shared understanding and actionable pathways for a resilient water sector.
The programme will open with Ofwat’s Innovation Fund principal Jeannette Henderson, underscoring regulatory support for innovation and nature-positive solutions across the UK water sector. Singapore’s PUB will then set a global tone: Bernard Koh, Assistant Chief Executive (Future Systems & Technology), will deliver our conference deliver keynote on future-proofing utilities through R&D, deployment at scale, and industry collaboration.
Technical sessions span breakthrough operations and decarbonisation. Thames Water will present their Ofwat-funded flagship, “Transforming the energy balance of wastewater treatment,” targeting energy-positive plants via anaerobic routes and biogas capture. Anglian Water’s Giulia Pizzagalli will showcase the Triple Carbon demonstration coupling MABR with an electrolyser at Cambridge WRC to cut process emissions while producing oxygen/hydrogen for treatment optimisation. Catchment digitalisation will be covered by Ziye Dai from Severn Trent, and Jose Porro from Cobalt Water Global who will present Severn Trent’s Artificial Intelligence of Things concept for autonomous network management to reduce spills and optimise storage. Resource recovery will shine through United Utilities(Callum Grundy) on cellulose/biopolymers and phosphorus, reflecting recent pilots and nature-based P-removal advances.
Innovation pathways will round out with Waterwhelm’s Discovery Project exploring water reuse as an environmental and commercial opportunity, building on award-winning low-energy membrane processes and recent Ofwat challenge successes.
Event programme
The schedule for the day is currently being finalised. Attendance is typically by invitation, but this year’s programme is expected to include:
- Welcome Address – Jeannette Henderson, Principal Innovation, OFWAT.
- Keynote – Bernard Koh, Assistant Chief Executive, Future Systems & Technology, PUB - Singapore’s National Water Agency.
- Cellulose, Biopolymers, and Phosphorus – Callum Grundy, Principal Innovation Engineer, United Utilities
- Triple Carbon: Coupling a Membrane-Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) with an Electrolyser at Cambridge WRC – Giulia Pizzagalli, Innovation Projects Manager, Anglian Water.
- Artificial Intelligence of Things in Catchments – Ziye Dai, Senior Innovation Technical Expert, Severn Trent, and Jose Porro, Founder and CEO, Cobalt Water Global.
- Transforming the Energy Balance of Wastewater Treatment - Experiences of Trialling and Operating Cold Anaerobic Systems in the UK– Chiara Coleman, Senior Research Engineer, Thames Water.
- Discovery Project: Can Water Reuse Become an Environmental and Commercial Opportunity at Wastewater Treatment Works? – Alireza Abbassi Monjezi, Founder and CEO, WaterWhelm.
- Flash Presentations by Early Career Researchers, followed by an Award for the Best ECR Presentation
If you are involved on the investigation of innovative strategies for wastewater treatment, and would be interested in giving a talk on your work at our conference, please contact Kristell Le Corre Pidou (E: k.s.lecorrepidou@cranfield.ac.uk) by the 14 Nov 2025
Every year, our conference also features a one-hour session dedicated to early career researchers, with a best presentation prize of £200 being awarded by our jury of water professionals and academics during the conference. The session is organised as a series of 5-minute flash presentations providing a platform for early career researchers to present their work and most recent research advances on innovations for wastewater treatment.
If you are an early career researcher and would like to present at our conference on any wastewater related topic – not necessarily related to a OFWAT funded project – please fill in the application form available here and return it Kristell Le Corre Pidou (E: k.s.lecorrepidou@cranfield.ac.uk) by the 21 November 2025, at the latest.
Please note that we have a limited number of flash presentations slots on offer, so we cannot guarantee that your talk will be selected.
Cost
£250 per delegate.
£90 per student.
Alumni discount - 10% off the standard delegate fee.
UK Wastewater Network members: Free registration for up to three delegates per member organisation, then standard delegate fees apply.
Event location
91麻豆 University campus.
About the UK Wastewater Network
Chaired by Ana Soares, Professor of Biotechnology Engineering, and managed by Dr Kristell Le Corre Pidou, the UK Wastewater is a collaboration hosted at 91麻豆 University that brings together academic, industry and research institutions from around the UK to facilitate co-operative working and best practice, as well as promoting the great research that is undertaken by the UK wastewater sector.
Who should attend
- Professionals of the water industry.
- Researchers and students.
- Regulators and government bodies.
- Wastewater practitioners.
- Consultants.
- Technology providers, local authorities, supply chain companies.
