Building Connections and Bringing Back Ideas from IWA Glasgow

To support this, Willemijn Bouland-Oosterwijk, Division Manager Strategy and Programming at Dunea, and Marielle van der Zouwen, CEO of KWR, designed a shared assignment to support and guide the group throughout the conference week. 

Before travelling to Glasgow, the young professionals met at KWR for a joint kick-off. During the congress, they started each day together at the KWR stand, sharing observations, discussing insights, and helping one another navigate the extensive programme. These daily moments created space for reflection, peer learning and connection across utility companies. 

Image 1. YWPs gathering during the morning kick-offs to discuss findings from the previous day.

The assignment challenged participants to explore a topic from the Dutch drinking water sector vision that resonated with their work and interests. Throughout the week, they were asked to identify how utilities and organisations around the world are addressing similar challenges, which innovations and research developments stood out, who we can learn from, and what lessons could be brought back to the Dutch water sector. The YWPs then prepared a presentation which was shared at the KWR booth on the last day of the IWA Congress, presenting their insights from the week in a fun and engaging way.

New perspectives and challenges 

The assignment offered participants an opportunity to explore their own areas of interest while discovering new connections and challenges. For Cees Bregman (WMD), the congress highlighted the potential of data-driven asset management to contribute to sustainability and address the loss of knowledge within the sector:

“I came to IWA to focus on two different topics: data-driven decision making and sustainability, and I guess I formed a new perspective that’s somewhere in between both of them. I mainly found that there’s still so much to gain in data-driven asset management, where now, a lot of decision are still based on gut feelings. Using a more data-driven approach (using data we mostly already have available) to use, maintain and invest in our assets could help our company (companies) reduce the use of energy, the need for maintenance and the rate of replacement of our assets. This on it’s own is a different aspect of being a more sustainable company that I hadn’t thought of before. It even plays into the upcoming challenge regarding the loss of human capital we’re facing as a sector with the approaching retirement of a lot of knowledgeable colleagues. Basing our future decisions on data-driven processes rather than sheer experience of the colleagues who have been with utility companies for a long time could really help us fill in the gap that’s left behind when these colleagues leave our companies (minimizing this gap being a large challenge on its own).”

Fenna Philipse (Waternet) focused on reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate management and identified a challenge that deserves greater attention as water scarcity and the demand for advanced treatment technologies increase: 

“I came with a focus on RO concentrate management(treatment) (in other countries). But came with a realization that although RO treatment is a much used watertreatment in areas where there is already water stress. It seems this will become even more and more the preferred technology, where more stringent norms and water stress will only become more apparent with climate change and the need to think circular as well. However I felt that the many case studies on one of the above mentioned topics paid little attention to concentrate management. It seems that the concentrate management is an unresolved challenge but something that we should address as the water sector.”

Photo 2: The Young Water Professionals present their findings on the final day of the IWA Congress at the KWR & Friends stand.

By combining international inspiration with a strong Dutch network, the initiative helped transform conference attendance into a shared learning journey. The group not only expanded their global perspectives, but also strengthened relationships across the Dutch drinking water sector. Furthermore, ideas were discussed about joining the IWA Young Water Professionals Programme and Regional Chapters. 

The conversations do not stop in Glasgow. Participants will share their findings within their own organisations and across the wider Waterwijs network, helping ensure that the insights gathered by the next generation of water professionals contribute to the future development of the Dutch drinking water sector. 

Thanks to all those who participated, and we look forward to seeing the outcomes of your energy, commitment and ideas from the week!