Wastewater Europe 2027 will bring together wastewater leaders, utilities, technology providers and other industry stakeholders for its first European edition, organised in partnership with Utility Week. The conference and exhibition will explore how Europe’s wastewater sector can respond to evolving regulatory requirements, infrastructure pressures and the growing need for more sustainable water management.

The event will address a range of challenges shaping the sector, including the implementation of the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, the monitoring and management of combined sewer overflows, the treatment of emerging pollutants such as PFAS and micropollutants, and the development of more circular approaches to wastewater and sludge. Discussions will also consider the role of digital technologies, nature-based solutions and innovation in treatment processes, networks and infrastructure.

The conference offers an opportunity to examine wastewater not only as a treatment and infrastructure challenge, but also as a resource within a more circular water system. Reuse is an important part of this discussion: treated wastewater can provide an additional source of water for applications such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, where appropriate treatment, quality standards and safeguards are in place.

The European Irrigation Association (EIA) will participate in Wastewater Europe 2027, representing irrigation and highlighting its potential as an application and market for wastewater treatment and reuse systems. Irrigation can help connect wastewater treatment with productive water use, but successful reuse requires more than treatment alone. Water quality, storage and distribution infrastructure, irrigation-system compatibility, operational practices and regulatory conditions all need to be considered.

As Europe seeks to strengthen water resilience and make better use of available water resources, treated wastewater can offer opportunities for reuse in applications such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, where appropriate quality standards and safeguards are met.

For irrigation, the implementation of wastewater reuse systems requires more than treatment technology alone. It involves considering water quality and treatment requirements, distribution and storage infrastructure, irrigation-system compatibility, operational management and the relevant regulatory framework.

By bringing the irrigation perspective into dialogue with wastewater utilities, technology providers and other stakeholders, EIA aims to contribute to a more integrated discussion on water reuse and identify opportunities for collaboration across the wastewater and irrigation sectors.

More information: Wastewater Europe 2027