Water and wastewater treatment is facing increasingly complex challenges driven by climate change, emerging contaminants, population growth, and evolving regulations.

This course explores how the sector must adapt through innovative technologies and future treatment flowsheets to deliver effective, resilient, and sustainable solutions.

Water treatment processes are under growing pressure to maintain performance as the scale and complexity of challenges continue to increase.

This course examines the key emerging issues shaping the future of water and wastewater treatment—including PFAS, disinfection by-products, climate change impacts, and the need to protect river ecosystems—and explores how innovative technologies and new treatment approaches can be integrated into future flowsheets. Participants will develop the knowledge and confidence to assess emerging solutions, understand their implementation challenges, and support the transition towards more adaptable and sustainable treatment systems.

At a glance

Course structure

This course is delivered via a mixture of lectures and group activities.

What you will learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Explain the key global challenges affecting water and wastewater treatment, including emerging contaminants, changing regulations, climate change impacts, and environmental protection requirements.
  • Critically assess the benefits, limitations, and uncertainties associated with emerging and novel treatment technologies.
  • Understand how treatment processes and flowsheets can be adapted to address future water quality challenges.
  • Develop appropriate treatment strategies by selecting suitable technologies and considering technical, operational, economic, and implementation factors.
  • Explore key challenges shaping the future of treatment, including bulk dissolved organic carbon removal and disinfection by-products, PFAS, climate change adaptation, and protection of river ecosystems.

Core content

  • Global trends and innovations shaping the future of water and wastewater services.
  • Emerging challenges driving the development of future treatment flowsheets, including PFAS, disinfection by-products, climate change impacts, and river protection.
  • Future flowsheet design, technology selection, and optioneering approaches.
  • Advanced treatment technologies, including: Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs); Adsorption, ion exchange, and hybrid treatment approaches; Membrane technologies; Coagulation, tertiary treatment, and foam fractionation; Algae-based treatment and stripping processes.
  • Waste stream management and combined sewer overflow (CSO) challenges.
  • Technology comparison, economic assessment, and business case development.
  • Practical application through laboratory sessions, tutorials, and case studies.

Who should attend

This course is ideal for students, water and wastewater professionals, engineers, researchers, consultants, and industry practitioners interested in understanding the emerging challenges facing treatment systems and exploring how innovative technologies and future flowsheets can deliver more resilient and sustainable water services.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by CIWEM

Concessions

10% discount for Cranfield alumni.

15% discount for IWA members.

Discounts cannot be combined; only one discount may be applied per booking.

Accommodation options and prices

This is a non-residential course. If you would like to book accommodation on campus, please contact Mitchell Hall or Cranfield Management Development Centre directly. Further information regarding our accommodation on campus can be found here.

Alternatively you may wish to make your own arrangements at a nearby hotel.

Location and travel

Cranfield University is situated in Bedfordshire close to the border with Buckinghamshire. The University is located almost midway between the towns of Bedford and Milton Keynes and is conveniently situated between junctions 13 and 14 of the M1.

London Luton, Stansted and Heathrow airports are 30, 90 and 90 minutes respectively by car, offering superb connections to and from just about anywhere in the world. 

Further location and travel details

Location address

Cranfield University
College Road
Cranfield
Bedford
MK43 0AL

Read our Professional development (CPD) booking conditions.