Water professionals advocate for infrastructure upgrades over new construction

At the 2026 AWA/IWA Young Water Professionals Conference, experts discussed strategies to address wastewater capacity challenges by optimizing existing assets rather than defaulting to new infrastructure. Presenters emphasized the importance of identifying specific operational constraints before committing significant capital to new builds.

One case study presented by Jarad Shorthouse of Beca HunterH2O focused on a sewage treatment plant in the Shoalhaven region. To address projected capacity increases at Culburra Beach, the team identified aeration as the primary bottleneck rather than hydraulic capacity. By reconfiguring existing blowers and control systems, they demonstrated that capacity could be increased without the need for an additional bioreactor.

Additionally, the International Water Association (IWA) and Grundfos have opened applications for the 2027–2028 Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship. The program supports water professionals aged 18–35 who are developing innovative solutions to improve water management and sanitation in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 6.