Conference

Key Dates

Call for Abstracts and Workshop Proposals Open	15.07.2025
Open Registration	01.10.2025
Closing Abstracts and Workshop Proposals Submission	15.10.2025
Author Notification	01.12.2025
Authors’ Confirmation of Conference Attendance	15.12.2025
Early Bird Registration Deadline	15.01.2026
Author Registration Deadline	31.01.2026
Publish final Program	01.02.2026
Full Paper Submission to IWA Journal	30.04.2026

From the Chair of the Conference

It is with great pleasure and anticipation that I welcome you to the 7th International Water Association (IWA) Water Safety Conference, to be held from March 23 to 25, 2026, at the Centre of Excellence for Water and Sanitation (CEWAS) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

This landmark event arrives at a critical moment for global water security. Despite increasing momentum, the world remains significantly off-track in achieving universal access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene by 2030. The latest data indicates that billions will still be left behind without these fundamental services, underscoring the urgency to scale up resilient and inclusive solutions.

Water Safety Planning, endorsed by the World Health Organization as the best practice for drinking-water quality management, is now implemented across more than 100 countries. Yet, translating plans into effective, operational systems remains an ongoing struggle.
Constraints in regulation, capacity, and financing—coupled with growing pressures from climate extremes and emerging contaminants—continue to challenge our collective progress.
Building on the legacy of past conferences, this edition marks the first time the Water Safety Conference will be hosted in South Asia. As a country navigating diverse water-related challenges, Sri Lanka offers a compelling setting to explore practical solutions, local innovations, and global collaborations.

The conference will spotlight pressing themes including climate resilience, risk-based regulation, capacity development, and water safety in small and rural supplies—often overlooked yet critically vulnerable.
We cordially invite our international and local partners, including government institutions, utilities, academia, private sector actors, and development agencies, to participate actively. This is a unique opportunity to contribute your expertise, share your experience, and connect with a high-profile gathering of scientists, practitioners, and policymakers shaping the future of water safety.

Let us come together in Colombo to reimagine the path to safe drinking water for all.

From the Chair of the Organizing Committee

I am very pleased that the IWA SG on Water Safety has chosen NWSDB as the host for the upcoming International conference for water safety and sanitation safety to be held on March 23-25, 2026. On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I am delighted to welcome all of the great scientists, academics, professionals, young researchers, and students from all over the world to Ratmalana, Sri Lanka. NWSDB

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) is the premier organization responsible for the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation services across Sri Lanka. Established under the National Water Supply and Drainage Board Law No. 2 of 1974, the NWSDB operates under the purview of the Ministry of Water Supply. Its mandate includes the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of public water supply and sewerage systems throughout the country.

The Board serves both urban and rural populations, with a focus on expanding access to clean and reliable water in line with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). The NWSDB implements numerous large-scale and community-based projects, often in collaboration with international development partners, to improve infrastructure and service delivery.

Committed to innovation and sustainability, the NWSDB has adopted strategies such as Water Safety Planning, non-revenue water reduction, and integrated water resource management to enhance efficiency and resilience. In addition to water supply, it is also tasked with developing sanitation systems and promoting environmental health. As a key stakeholder in Sri Lanka’s water sector, the NWSDB plays a vital role in ensuring water security and supporting public health and economic development.

This Water Safety Conference will feature a series of sessions led by leading technical experts in the field of water safety for supply systems. I warmly encourage all aspiring professionals and stakeholders to seize this opportunity to participate and contribute your valuable knowledge and experiences. I am confident that the conference will serve as an exceptional platform—one that offers significant professional benefits while opening new avenues for tackling the pressing challenges in water safety.

I look forward to welcoming you to this inspiring event, where the exchange of ideas and collaboration will spark innovative initiatives aimed at ensuring the continued delivery of safe drinking water to our communities.

Additionally, I invite you to extend your visit and explore the rich diversity of Sri Lanka—its unique natural beauty, cultural heritage, and the varying climates across different regions. Your stay promises to be as enriching personally as the conference will be professionally.

Eng. D.V. Medawatta
(Addl. GM - CAM, NWS&DB, Sri Lanka)

Organizing Committee:

Conference Secretariat & working group coordination
Additional General Manager (P & P)
Coordinate for sponsorships
Additional General Manager (WSP)
Selection and coordination of international participants
Additional General Manage (E/U/S)
Selection and coordination of local delegates
Additional General Manage (N/NC)
Logistic arrangements (Accommodation & Transport)
Additional General Manage (CAM)
Arranging refreshment and meals
Additional General Manage (W)
Management of inauguration and closing sessions
Additional General Manage (C/NW/Sab)
Media & communication and Printing materials
Additional General Manage (CS)
R&D symposium
Additional General Manage (WR)

Message from the Co-Chairs of the Program Committee

Despite significant global efforts, achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal for clean water and sanitation remains a major challenge. The UN estimates that by 2030, 2 billion people will still lack access to safely managed drinking water, 3 billion will be without safely managed sanitation, and 1.4 billion will not have access to basic hygiene services.

The World Health Organization’s Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality recommend the implementation of Water Safety Plans (WSPs) as the most effective approach to ensuring the safety of drinking water. Over 100 countries have adopted this proactive, catchment-to-tap risk management framework to safeguard their water supplies. While substantial progress has been made in developing WSPs, operationalising them remains a key challenge due to constraints including lack of adequate regulations, resourcing and funding capital and operating expenses. Evolving risks associated with climate change and emerging contaminants further complicate WSP process.

The 7th Water Safety Conference builds on the success of previous events held in Lisbon (2008); Malaysia (2010); Uganda (2012); Philippines (2016) Narvik (2022) and Uruguay (2024), and this time it will take place in South Asia in Sri Lanka.

The conference will explore recent advancements, key challenges, and innovations in delivering safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water. Special focus will be placed on the growing uncertainties driven by climate change and global crises. In addition, the conference will highlight the particular challenges faced by small water supply systems, which are often more vulnerable to disruption and have a higher incidence of waterborne disease outbreaks than larger systems.

This conference will serve as a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange among professionals, researchers, academics, regulators, and decision-makers from around the world.

We warmly invite you to join us at this global event and help shape the future of safe drinking water for all.

Eng. Asoka Jayaratne & Dr. S.K. Weragoda