Water and energy nexus: new imperatives for water treatment

New technological breakthroughs that will provide safer and cleaner water for reuse and efficient resource recovery from used water were key themes discussed at the IWA Leading Edge Technology (LET) conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

The annual conference series, organized by the International Water Association, brought together more than 200 global experts to discuss the latest developments in the water and wastewater industries.

“In both developed and developing countries, shrinking resource availability and rising energy costs related to both economic growth and climate change impacts are creating a revised set of objectives to traditional problems. For example, sophisticated solutions for the removal of nutrients from wastewater are being challenged by new imperatives which include the need for a reduction in energy costs, greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the need to recover phosphate,” said Paul Reiter, IWA executive director.

“The LET conference series provides a fantastic annual platform for the exchange of knowledge and technology development for the water sector. The dialogue will continue at the upcoming IWA World Water Congress in Montreal, Canada in September, where up to 4500 water professionals will exchange knowledge and debate current sector wide developments,” Reiter added.

For more information on the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition in Montreal, visit www.iwa2010montreal.org.

The next LET conference for Water and Wastewater technologies will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in June 2011.