KWR present at IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Toronto

Under the motto ‘KWR & Friends’, our stand will showcase the results of our joint research efforts, innovative technologies and solutions that contribute to a water-wise world. All of this is possible because of our strong focus on collaboration, which is at the heart of our work at KWR. The world is constantly changing, bringing new challenges such as climate change, population growth and the intensification of economic activities. We believe that collective action based on shared responsibility and collaboration involving a range of people and sectors is crucial to address these challenges and deliver sustainable solutions.

Our researchers

Tijdens het congres zullen verschillende van onze onderzoekers hun expertise en bevindingen delen:

• During the conference, a number of our researchers will share their expertise and findings:
• Dragan Savic and Ina Vertommen will explore how the water sector can effectively use big data, tackle data collection and integration challenges, and overcome the data-rich/information-poor paradox. Savic will also present an overview of digitalisation in the water sector and discuss the drivers and barriers in digital transformation.
• Julian Muñoz Sierra will focus on reusing and recycling water treatment sludge and will describe the biotransformation of micropollutants in conventional activated sludge systems.
• Siddharth Seshan’s presentation will look at the set-up and calibration of a biokinetic model of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant in Amsterdam West for predicting seasonal variations in nitrous oxide emissions and learning more about the underlying biokinetic processes.
• Martijn van Veggel will analyse the use of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) to remove PFAS from drinking water, including a comparison with the removal of other organic micropollutants. He will also discuss what happens to PFAS when saturated activated carbon is regenerated at high temperatures and explore whether PFAS is completely destroyed or if other components are created.
• Lisa Andrews will talk about how to create impact in transdisciplinary research projects by integrating knowledge and engaging in cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration. She will share insights from her research into water and climate issues and describe the collaborative activities that are essential for successful projects.
• Caro Mooren will analyse how the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus can be framed and managed. She will discuss the governance challenges involved in implementing WEFE nexus governance in a transnational context and identify four key conditions for overcoming these challenges.
• Sandra Sikkema will talk about strategies for the socio-technical legitimation of water-related reuse technologies in the transition to a circular economy. She will share legitimacy strategies that build institutional trust and promote legal change for supporting regulations in water reuse, as well as research findings about the legitimacy and acceptance of drinking water reuse.
• Gertjan Medema, the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2024 Laureate, will present the use of molecular methods (qPCR, dPCR, sequencing) for monitoring viruses (and variants) in wastewater.
• Ruud Bartholomeus participates in a workshop, where one of the speakers is National Geographic, on the role of communications and water management in shaping how water is understood and used. He will discuss the increasing pressure on the availability of clean water resulting from human use and climate change, and emphasise the need for a new equilibrium between water use and replenishment.
• Marette Zwamborn will present examples of scope 4 emission reductions in the water sector, focusing on actions that lead to emission reductions outside the traditional scope 1, 2 and 3 categories such as aquathermal energy, energy hub solutions and flex-in-water. These examples will raise awareness about the potential of scope 4 climate actions in the water sector.
• Aleida Hommes and Milou Dingemans will co-host a side event on ‘Chemicals of Emerging Concern’. They will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches to chemical water quality, focusing on individual contaminants, chemical mixtures and the exposome. In addition, Hommes will give a presentation on the use of natural virus markers to safeguard the integrity of membrane filtration systems in wastewater treatment plants.

In addition, Tessa van den Brand, the co-author of the book ‘Resource Recovery from Water’, has been shortlisted with her book for IWA Publishing’s Best Scientific Book Prize. The award ceremony will be on Saturday, 10 August during the conference in Toronto

Ongoing participation at IWA with innovation and collaboration

KWR has been present at this prestigious IWA event for several years. Two years ago, we were proud to attend the event in Copenhagen. Our repeat appearances underline our commitment to international cooperation and innovation in the water sector. We are proud of the work of our researchers and look forward to sharing their valuable contributions to the water sector with the rest of the world during IWA.

Go here for the full KWR & Friends programme or check out our LinkedIn and Instagram pages for more information