13th IWA Specialist Conference in Wastewater Ponds and Algal Technologies --- July 3-6, 2022 --- Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

We are excited to invite you to attend, either virtually or in-person, the 13th IWA Specialist Conference in Wastewater Ponds and Algal Technologies, 3-6 July 2022 (WPAT22), which will be hosted in Melbourne, Australia, only a few hours drive from the spectacular Great Ocean Road and some of the best wine regions.

This event follows the very successful IWALGAE 2019, which combined for the first time the 12th IWA Specialist conference on Wastewater Ponds and 2nd IWA Conference on Algal Technologies for Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery where we enjoyed the tapas and beautiful architecture in Valledolid, Spain.

Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, WPAT22 will be delivered in hybrid mode as we take advantage of the latest technological advances that have become mainstream due to our rapid switch to remote working. We hope our virtual option also benefits those who may not be able to travel for other reasons, like family responsibilities. Whichever option works for you, we will endeavour to bring you a schedule full of exciting innovations, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities.

For those able to be with us in Melbourne, there will also be the possibility to travel to Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant, a 110 square kilometre sewage treatment plant treating 50% of Melbourne’s sewage and producing 40,000 ML of recycled water/year, while also recognised as a Ramsar site.

The IWA Specialist Group in Wastewater Pond and Algal Technologies is aimed at promoting new advances in the use of pond systems and algal bioprocesses for wastewater treatment in both industrialised and developing countries. Our work has a distinctive focus on the provision of sustainable sanitation solutions, reduction of public health risks, environmental protection, and resource recovery to support a circular bio-economy.

Since our first conference (Lisbon, 1987), this Specialist Group has pioneered the development of wastewater pond systems by revealing the fundamental principles controlling the transformation and removal of pollutants, and by delivering several technical innovations in the utilisation of ponds around the world. New designs, new process variants and new opportunities have emerged around the formerly simple concept of wastewater stabilization ponds.

More recently, growing interest in the use of wastewater for the cultivation of microalgae and the production of high-value products has led to a new vibrant community within our Specialist Group, which has been fundamental in the consolidation of this topic and the organisation of two previous conferences on Algal Technologies for Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery (Delft, 2017; Valladolid, 2019). READ MORE