RSE Attends International Water Association World Water Congress & Exhibition

Between the 11^th – 15^th August 2024, RSE attended the International Water Association World Water Congress & Exhibition held in Toronto, Canada.

Exhibiting as part of the UK Pavilion and joined by passionate leaders and global water industry experts, the RSE team exchanged ideas and innovations to tackle some of the most urgent challenges affecting our planet’s water resources.

The team had a valuable week showcasing our innovative products and solutions on our exhibition stand, alongside attending insightful congress sessions, hosting presentations on modular water treatment solutions, and networking on the UK Pavilion.

Day One of the event involved our team welcoming delegates and water industry professionals from all over the world onto our stand to discuss how we’re disrupting the water industry through delivering innovative modular water treatment solutions.

RSE CEO, Stephen Slessor, took part in an engagement session hosted by GHD titled ‘From Concept to Context in Seconds’ hosted by GHD UK Market Lead for Water, John Hensman. He also participated in a Construction to Production in the Water Industry workshop, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in the transition to improving productivity in the water sector.

The exhibition schedule for Day Two included a presentation by Mark Livingston, RSE Technical Sales Director, who delivered an engagement session on Modular Solutions for the Water Sector, discussing lean manufacturing-based techniques and how RSE is leading the industry in achieving an enhanced quality of build.

The highlight for the team on Day Two was the Looking Ahead to Glasgow 2026 Reception held on the UK Pavilion and sponsored by RSE. Scottish Water’s CEO, Alex Plant, opened the reception with a keynote speech about handing over the event to Scotland and the welcoming city of Glasgow in two years’ time, where the event’s core theme of shaping the water future will be continued.

Our team enjoyed showcasing some of our Scottish traditions including a reception opening with the bagpipes and tasting iconic Scottish products including Irn Bru, Tunnocks and whisky, which was sampled by delegates and auctioned by Stephen Slessor in support of raising funds for WaterAid. 

The team was delighted to attend the Women in Water reception on Day Three of the exhibition,  which included a networking with purpose session, alongside a panel discussion around female representation within the water industry.

Day Four of the event and the final day for delegates to visit the RSE stand also featured a themed lunchtime reception for Young Water Professionals. This included a networking session and a panel hosted by Stephen Slessor discussing topics relating to what inspires young people within the water industry and how to harness this next generation of water leaders. 

The Congress & Exhibition was a great success for the team who showcased our offering on the RSE stand and during the various events of the week, as we now look forward to continuing the momentum of conversation around sustainable water management and preserving water as a precious resource for the future within our solutions. Our team is excited to showcase the developments we have made when the event arrives in Glasgow in 2026!

Stephen Slessor, RSE CEO, said:

During the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, I was fortunate to be able to present at three panels and showcase the RSE journey from Construction to Production as we continue to disrupt the water sector with our leading water technology portfolio of products and services.

Despite the challenges the sector faces in the media, the UK is seen as being one of the most innovative on the global stage.

The highlight of the week for me was the Scottish reception to promote the next World Water Congress & Exhibition in Glasgow, including enjoying my double act with Alex Plant and comparing kilts and sulu’s with the Water Authority of Fiji team.

Looking forward to supporting the UK Pavilion again in 2026. It was super fun working with lots of likeminded people to support the event.

Gary Callachan, RSE Business Development Lead, added:

For me personally, RSE’s attendance as part of the UK Pavilion, alongside 8 of the UK’s water authorities, was really inspiring as we all look to tackle the global issues of water scarcity, climate impact, carbon reduction and environmental restoration.

Even after a sustained 2 years or so of negative media coverage, it is clear the UK is doing its best – and is making significant headway – with these challenges, that the entire world is facing at different rates.

RSE’s modular approach to design and build is helping with these key themes. During the exhibition, we were able to showcase a number of case studies highlighting this which was very well received.

Over the 4 days, we were delighted to make over 200 connections from over 20 countries across 5 continents at the event. This is a true reflection of our amazing people who bring these fantastic, market-disrupting products to life.