Our annual conference of the UK Water Network will take place at Cranfield University on Wednesday 24th June 2026.

Overview
This conference is the nineteenth in an annual series focusing on drinking water production from source to tap. The event provides an excellent opportunity for attendees to get the latest information on water treatment and supply, an interact on the topic with scientists and researchers from water utilities and leading global academic institutions.

“As a critical industry, we are facing the accelerating impacts of climate change, increasing pressure on resources, and rising expectations for water quality and operational performance — alongside the urgent drive towards net zero. In this evolving landscape, closer collaboration between academia and industry, scientists and engineers, and practitioners and researchers is more important than ever. By working together and sharing knowledge, we can develop sustainable, forward-looking solutions to address a range of emerging challenges.”
Prof John Fawell, Chair of the UK Water Network.

If you are interested in presenting at our conference, please contact Kristell Le Corre Pidou at: k.s.lecorrepidou@cranfield.ac.uk. Deadline for presentation proposals: 28 February 2026. Please note that we only have a limited number of presentations slots available, so if you apply for a talk, we cannot guarantee that you will be allocated one.

As every year, our conference will also feature a session dedicated to young and early career researchers with a series of 5-minute presentations.
We invite early career researchers to submit an application for a talk on their work and most recent research advances on innovations for water treatment. A jury, composed of water professionals and researchers, will vote for the best early career researcher’s presentation, with a best presentation prize of £200 (as vouchers) being awarded during the conference.

Applications for a 5-minute early career researcher presentation can be summitted to Kristell Le Corre Pidou at: k.s.lecorrepidou@cranfield.ac.uk using the word template available here  . Applications must include:

• A presentation title.
• A short abstract (not more than 200 words).
• A short bio (100 words max).
• A profile picture.

Deadline for submitting your application for 5-minute early career researcher presentation is 29.05.2026.
Please note that we have a limited number of short presentations slots, so if you apply for a talk, we cannot guarantee that your talk will be selected.

 

Event Programme

We are currently working on the conference programme that will include topics on water treatment technologies, water monitoring, distribution system, water quality and catchment management.

Confirmed speaker to date include:

Ron Hofmann, Professor, University of Toronto, Canada. Keynote - Reimagining GAC for Conventional Drinking Water Treatment
Edward D. Jones, Research Associate, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Sheffield, UK. On: Pipe Asset Health: The Role of Fatigue Loading and Corrosion in the Evolution of Leaks and Bursts
Matthew Jones, Public Health Manager, and Jörgen Jönsson, Water Quality Manger and Strategic Carbon Manager, Wessex Water, UK. On: PFAS at Wessex Water – approach and a case study of an express GAC installation.
Rory Downham, Research Fellow, University of Warwick, UK. On: Investigation into the electrochemical degradation of 6:2 FTAB: insights for water treatment processing.

Stay tuned for programme updates!


Location and travel details

Cranfield University | The Sir Peter Gregson AIRC, Building 320

Who should attend

• Water company employees
• Consultants for the water sector
• Public health professionals
• Those working in drinking water quality
• Regulators
• Supply chain companies
• Academic and industry researchers working in drinking water treatment and supply

Cost

£250 per delegate; £90 per student. Alumni discount - 10% off the standard delegate fee. UK Water Network members: Free attendance for up to 3 delegate per member organisation

How to register

To register please fill in this online form. 

 

About the UK Water: 

Chaired by John Fawell, led by Dr Irene Carra  and managed by Dr Kristell Le Corre Pidou, the UK Water Network is a collaboration 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 water sector.