BLOG: Glasgow 2026 is coming. If you work in water, this Congress matters - Alex Plant CEO

“Glasgow 2026 is a chance not just to talk about the challenges facing water, but to accelerate solutions that deliver real impact.”

Alex Plant
Chief Executive, Scottish Water

Consider this your heads up: the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition is happening in Glasgow from October 4-8. There is, quite simply, nowhere that anyone should rather be if they work in or with the water sector.  

And the Congress is happening at a point when climate volatility, rising customer expectations, and major investment decisions are converging across our sector, and across the world. 

This Congress is shaping up to be the best ever. And that doesn’t happen by accident. Huge credit is due to the hard-working IWA Team and the IWA Programme Committee, which has pulled together a programme that is ambitious, grounded, and at the cutting edge of thinking. It reflects a deep understanding of what utilities are dealing with today and how we can seize the opportunities to be better tomorrow.  

So, what can you expect when you get there? A Congress focused on “Action for Water: the Path to Resilience and Prosperity”. A programme rooted in the most pressing issues of the day. Options for delegates to follow their key interests throughout the Congress and weave these together with that strategic focus on resilience and prosperity, essential wherever you live in the world. Case studies from around the globe demonstrate the art of the possible. And the event will showcase innovative approaches that are delivering even in the most challenging circumstances. 

themes

Across the UK thematic forums, the agenda looks at resilience under climate change, including how nature-based solutions can be harnessed to protect water quality and help manage risk across whole catchments. 

There is also a stronger focus on resource value. Circular economy approaches can turn ‘waste’ into assets, from rainwater to bioresources. And there is a clear thread on water, public health and wellbeing, including how behaviours and wider systems influence outcomes for communities and the environment. 

And many of these same themes are being assessed at the Global Water Intelligence event in Madrid, where I will be one of the speakers at a session focused on how we can make progress against the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, enabling access to clean water and sanitation for all.  

innovation

A big part of the value of the Glasgow Congress 26 will be what you can see up front and personal. The UK Pavilion brings organisations from across the UK water sector together to show how innovation is being applied in practice. That includes technology, but also the operating models, data and engineering that improve resilience, cut environmental impact, and deliver better value for customers. 

The technical tours are where strategy meets delivery. They take you into operational sites across Scotland to see what implementation looks like on the ground. One example is Glasgow’s Smart Canal, a blue-green system that uses forecasting and real-time data to manage flood risk better. When heavy rain is predicted, it lowers canal levels in advance, creating up to 55,000 cubic metres of capacity to store rainwater and protect homes and businesses. It has also unlocked the ability to deliver thousands of much-needed new homes in the city.  

For Scottish Water, this Congress lands at a pivotal moment. We are preparing to deliver our largest ever investment programme, at the same time as climate volatility reshapes how our systems, and natural systems, operate. The challenge is both too little water and too much water, which makes learning from others, sharing what we are doing, and bringing back ideas we can apply quickly so important. 

global focus

As part of the Congress, the Glasgow Summit brings an explicitly global focus on how to close the gap to delivering against UN Sustainable Development Goal 6. SDG 6 is fundamental to public health, economic development and climate resilience, yet progress remains uneven and too slow in many parts of the world. And where access to clean water and sanitation is not present, the impact falls on everyone, with huge negative impacts on health, well-being, and economic growth. And we know that these fall disproportionately on women and girls.  

This is something that none of us should think is acceptable. And so the focus of the Summit is on providing practical ideas for action from a practitioner perspective: sharing what is working, understanding where delivery is stuck, and building the partnerships needed to scale solutions. As Co-President of the Congress alongside Peter Simpson, our priority is to keep that focus firmly on outcomes and measurable impact and to support Dialogue 1 of the UN Water Conference this December. 

So, if you’re weighing up the pros and cons of attending the Glasgow Congress this October, my advice is simple: “Go!”  

Go and see what’s working in practice.  

Go and challenge your thinking.  

Go and build relationships with people solving the same problems in different ways that can last for a lifetime.  

Go, and then come back home with ideas you can act on straight away.  

Go, and enjoy being in the UK’s friendliest city, with amazing cultural highlights, and a stone’s throw from some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. 

That’s the real value of Congress. 

To sign up: IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition – Shaping our water future