The Call for Abstracts open on Monday, 9 March 2026
Please click here for the abstract template
The Water New Zealand Conference & Expo is the main event for the water industry in New Zealand and the vastness of our industry calls for a wide and diverse programme of topics to be showcased – we encourage you to get involved!
Key dates:
– Call for abstracts (oral and posters) open: Monday, 9 March
– Call for abstracts (oral and posters) closes: Wednesday, 29 April
– Authors notified of selection: Friday, 26 June
– Final papers due: Wednesday, 15 July
– Final posters (digital) due: Monday, 14 September
– Final presentations due: Friday, 18 September
Thought Leadership
We are also asking for expressions of interest for non-technical/thought leadership papers to be submitted through the same submission process and portal.
Technical Topics covered this year:
1. Drinking water
For example:
• Drinking water quality and treatment
• Innovations in water treatment
• Environmental impact of operations
• Water Safety Plans
• Source water management
• Source Water Risk Management Plans
• Acceptable Solutions in practice
• Nitrates
• Treatment of forever chemicals / emerging contaminants
• Safe water for everyone everyday
• Operational efficiencies
• Leakage management
• Demand side management
• Case studies
2. Wastewater
For example:
• Wastewater treatment
• Wastewater networks
• Wastewater Risk Management Plans
• Wastewater environmental performance measures
• Improving environmental performance of wastewater networks – tracking, monitoring, preventing overflows
• Environmental impact of operations
• Biosolids treatment and reuse
• Innovative wastewater technology
• Decentralised systems
• Case studies
3. Procurement
For example:
• Level of service
• Procurement and supply chains
• Project delivery efficiencies
• Climate, resilient procurement
• Social/impact procurement
• Local solutions
• Investment, funding and financing
• Case studies
4. Asset management – pipelines/networks/treatment plant/reservoirs…
For example:
• Asset management lifecycle (planning, design, construction, O&M, renewals, upgrade, decommissioning)
• Condition and performance assessment
• Predictive asset management
• Level of service
• Supply and demand planning
• Risk based decision making and investment
• Dynamic or adaptive pathway planning
• Case studies
5. Construction
For example:
• New assets – challenging projects
• Renewals
• Technologies
• Innovative equipment/new to New Zealand
• Efficiencies
• Project management
• Case studies
6. Risk – Emergencies, Events and incidents
For example:
• Risk based decision making
• Resilience
• Lifelines and Sector coordinating entity (SCE)
• Queenstown cryptosporidium, Hawkes Bay/Auckland/Tairawhiti – Cyclone Gabrielle) responses and lessons learnt
7. Policy changes/framework
For example:
• Local Water Done Well
• Regulatory framework
• Economic regulation
• Financial Sustainability Plans
• Consumer protection, dispute resolution
• RMA reform
• NES – Freshwater
• NPS – Freshwater Management
• NES – Drinking Water Sources
• Fast track consenting
8. Digital
For example:
• Data – governance & sovereignty, open & accessible, privacy, cyber security/threats
• Common platforms, data standards, and protocols
• Data sharing between organisations, infrastructures
• Customer experience
• Sensors, monitoring, optimising
• Risk mitigation
• Secure systems
• Change management for SCADA
• New technology – use of AI
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Digital twins (modelling) – using data to drive asset management decision making
• Digitally literate workforce
• Future focus – a lens on the future/innovation
• Learning from other sectors – smart cities, transport, energy
• Case studies
9. IWA/Science
For example:
• Genomics
• Water microbiology
• Environmental biotechnology
• Chemistry and toxicology
• Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)
• Source water risk management plans
• Wastewater risk management plans
• Groundwater
• Hydrology
• Geotech
• Social Science
• Biosensors
• Nitrates
• Water cycle
• PFAS and PFOA
10. Climate change & sustainability
For example:
• Climate change adaptation
• Climate change mitigation (carbon register, budgets, offsetting)
• Taskforce on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
• Taskforce on Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)
• Circular economy – net zero carbon, resource recovery
• Intergenerational sustainability
• Resilience (personal, community, region, business, sector)
• Case studies
11. Te Ao Māori
For example:
• Operationalising Te Mana o te Wai – restoring and preserving the balance between the water, the wider environment, and the community
• Valuing water – lakes, rivers, streams
• Partnering with iwi
• Matauranga Māori
• Water as the life force
• Case studies
12. Workforce
For example:
• Health, safety and well-being
• Capability, training and qualification
• Authorisations
• Growing the workforce – adaptive and resilient
• Cultural transformation: shifting perceptions, behaviours and capabilities in the water sector
• Diversifying leadership – new models and practices
• Change management – building resilient organisations
• Fostering D&I across organisations, supply chains and service delivery
• Making water the career of choice
• People, culture, diversity & inclusion
• Training
• Case studies
13. People and community
For example:
• Customer focus – communication, engagement & awareness
• Customised information
• Valuing services provided
• Valuing water
• Community engagement
• Case studies of customer engagement
14. Trenchless Technology (ASTT stream)
• Case studies
• Emerging Technologies
15. Outfall Systems
• Numerical modelling & Outfall Designs
• Impact assessments
• Perception, consenting and community engagement.
• Case studies
16. Non-technical or thought leadership
• Let us know if you have some great non-technical or thought leadership ideas to share with the sector
Please click here for the abstract template
