Technical Tours
Technical Tours are a core feature of the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE), designed to complement the conference programme with real-world insight. Taking place in and around Glasgow, these tours offer delegates the opportunity to experience water and wastewater innovation first-hand, within the operational, environmental, and community contexts in which it is delivered.
From landmark water supply systems and wastewater treatment innovation to smart, climate-responsive urban infrastructure, each tour provides practical insight into how Scotland is responding to growth, climate pressures, and operational challenges.
By joining a Technical Tour, delegates can extend their Congress experience beyond the venue, gaining hands-on, place-based insight that brings conference discussions into real-world settings – where policy, engineering, and communities meet.
Participants can choose among a range of different excursions and site visits in and around Glasgow. More information on how to reserve the tours, any additional costs and precise dates for each tour will be confirmed soon – watch this space for updates.
Balmore WTW
Scotland’s Largest Water Treatment Works and Scottish Water’s Road to Net Zero
Balmore Water Treatment Works, Scotland’s largest, works alongside Milngavie to supply fresh drinking water to Glasgow and surrounding areas, typically treating around 200 million litres daily, with capacity for up to 365 million litres. The site is also home to one of Scottish Water’s largest solar PV installations, playing a major role in achieving the organisation’s 2040 Net Zero commitment. This tour offers the chance to explore both the treatment works and the solar farm, along with a presentation on Scottish Water’s wider sustainability initiatives — including hydropower, energy‑efficient operations, battery storage, hydrogen research from final effluent, and the transition to electric vehicles.
- PPE required (this will be provided on site):
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- Hi-vis vest or jacket
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Steel toe cap boots or shoes
- Toilets available at treatment works
- Not wheelchair friendly
Clyde Gateway
City Growth and Regeneration
Clyde Gateway is Scotland’s largest urban regeneration programme, transforming Glasgow’s East End and parts of South Lanarkshire into vibrant, thriving communities. Water has played a crucial role in this redevelopment, supporting major environmental improvements and innovative surface‑water management that have helped attract new homes and businesses. A standout feature is the low‑carbon heat supplied to local buildings from Dalmarnock Wastewater Treatment Works, where Noventa technology captures energy from wastewater and converts it into renewable heat. This tour will showcase the area’s remarkable journey from heavily contaminated land to a successful, community‑focused regeneration, highlighting the power of partnership and sustainable innovation.
- Sensible footwear required
- Walking tour, but route will be wheelchair friendly
- Toilets available at Clyde Gateway Head Office at Eastworks
Glasgow Smart Canal
Urban Climate Resilience
In the heart of North Glasgow, a quiet revolution is flowing through the city’s historic waterways. As Europe’s first ever autonomous and dynamically managed surface water system, Glasgow Smart Canal is changing the way cities manage water, tackle climate change, and unlock new places to live and work. This marvel of Blue-Green Infrastructure uses sensors to predict when a period of heavy rainfall is about to occur and will lower water levels in areas of the Forth & Clyde Canal by directing it to the River Kelvin. This tour will include a walking tour along the Forth and Clyde canal, lead by expertise from Scottish Canals which will focus on a multitude of topics such as Glasgow’s Smart Canal, asset management, environmental regeneration and many more.
- Sensible footwear required
- Wheelchair accessible footpath
- Toilets available at Scottish Canals Head Office
Glencorse WTW
Treating Edinburgh’s Water Supply
Glencorse Water Treatment Works officially opened in 2012 to replace two ageing facilities and meet growing demand in the surrounding areas and Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh. The works is a unique architectural structure that features Scotland’s largest grass roof which is the equivalent to four football pitches! It uses CoCoDAFF technology, combining two treatment processes into one unit which saves space and capital. A third of the site’s energy is also generated using a hydro turbine using gravity-fed raw water.
- PPE required (this will be provided on site):
- Hi-vis vest or jacket
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Steel toe cap boots or shoes
- Not wheelchair friendly
- Toilets available at treatment works
Juniper House
Scottish Water’s Largest Sampling Lab
Juniper House is Scottish Water’s largest and most accessible sampling laboratory, located on the Heriot‑Watt University campus on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Handling around 250,000 samples each year from water and wastewater treatment works, it plays a vital role in safeguarding water quality across Scotland. This tour will follow the journey of a sample from collection to processing, offering an inside look at how samples are received, assessed and analysed across specialist labs. You’ll also learn how results are used to protect public health and shape future planning — and even test whether you’ve got the refined senses needed to be a Scottish Water taster.
- Sensible, closed-toe footwear required
- PPE required (this will be provided at the lab):
- Safety glasses
- Lab coat
- Please let staff know if you have a pacemaker or are pregnant as this will affect what areas of the lab you are allowed in.
- Wheelchair accessible although visibility may be restricted slightly with placement of viewing windows.
- Toilets available at the lab
Laighpark WWTW
Scotland’s First Exemplar Wastewater Treatment Works
Laighpark Wastewater Treatment works is Scotland’s first exemplar wastewater treatment works as it is currently trialling the measurement of greenhouse gases and tank refinement reduction. The site received significant upgrades aimed at improving water quality, reducing flooding, and supporting regional development. On this tour, you will explore the innovative, new Wastewater Treatment Work application, which provides comprehensive performance insights without manual sampling, and learn how condition monitoring drives better operational decisions.
- PPE required (provided on site):
-
- Safety glasses
- Hi-vis vest or jacket
- Gloves
- Steel toe-cap boots or shoes
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Toilets available at treatment works
Loch Katrine
Set Sail on the Iconic Steamship Sir Walter Scott
Introduced in 1859 as Glasgow’s new source of drinking water, Loch Katrine remains the city’s primary supply, delivering clean, gravity‑fed water from the Trossachs via a 26‑mile aqueduct opened by Queen Victoria. Located just over 30 miles from the SEC, the loch combines rich engineering heritage with outstanding natural beauty. The tour departs from Trossachs Pier aboard the historic Steamship Sir Walter Scott, which first sailed in 1900 and recently celebrated its 125th anniversary. Guests will enjoy a scenic cruise while learning about Loch Katrine’s role in Glasgow’s water cycle, its influence on artists and writers, and innovative projects such as peatland restoration and real‑time water quality monitoring.
- Accessibility friendly
- Sensible footwear and outdoor clothing required
- Toilets available at visitor centre and on ship
Milngavie WTW and Reservoirs
Treating Glasgow’s Water
Loch Katrine Aqueduct supplies Glasgow with high‑quality drinking water, feeding two major treatment works, including Milngavie Water Treatment Works. This works treats around 240 million litres of water daily, serving more than 700,000 people across Greater Glasgow. Just north of the city, the scenic Milngavie Reservoirs attract around 150,000 visitors each year with tranquil woodland and waterside walks. This tour offers a rare opportunity to explore the exceptional Grade A‑listed Victorian engineering that still powers Glasgow’s water supply, while learning about the surrounding natural environment and the crucial role of biodiversity in sustaining healthy ecosystems.
- PPE required (this will be provided on site):
- Hi-vis vest or jacket
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Steel toe cap boots or shoes
- Not wheelchair friendly
- Toilets available at treatment works
Scotland’s Hydro Nation Chair
The River Almond Lighthouse Project
The Hydro Nation Chair, based at the University of Stirling, brings together experts across Scotland to drive innovation in sustainable water management. In collaboration with Scottish Water’s flagship initiative, the River Almond Lighthouse Project, Hydro Nation Chair is using advanced digital tools to monitor river health in real time. By combining data from multiple sources, the project models the river catchment to understand causes of pollution, predict issues, and identify the most effective solutions to restore this heavily impacted waterway. This tour will include a presentation from Hydro Nation, followed by a guided walk along the River Almond and a visit to East Calder Wastewater Treatment Works.
- Sensible footwear recommended
- PPE required (this will be provided on site):
-
- Hi-vis vest or jacket
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Steel toe cap boots or shoes
- Walking tour but route will be wheelchair friendly
- Toilets available at Almondell & Calderwood Country Park Visitor Centre
Seafield WWTW
Scotland’s Largest Wastewater Treatment Facility
Located beside Leith Docks in Edinburgh, Seafield Wastewater Treatment Works is Scotland’s largest wastewater treatment facility, treating up to 265 million litres of wastewater every day for around 850,000 people in Edinburgh and surrounding communities. The site operates under a Private Finance Initiative between Scottish Water and Stirling Water Ltd. but day-to-day operations are subcontracted to Veolia. As a flagship site for green energy and the circular economy, Seafield transforms final processed sludge into agricultural fertiliser, helping recover valuable resources. Its unique thermal hydrolysis plant treats more air than wastewater, generating biogas that is converted into renewable energy to power the site. This innovative process supports both day‑to‑day operations and Scottish Water’s ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2040.
- PPE required (this will be provided on site):
- Hi-vis vest or jacket
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Steel toe cap boots or shoes
- Hard hat
- Not wheelchair friendly
- Toilets available at treatment works
Winchburgh WWTW
New Innovations for a Growing Population
Winchburgh Wastewater Treatment Works is the second Scottish Water site to use Nereda®, a cutting‑edge, low‑carbon wastewater treatment technology. With the town’s population growing significantly in recent years, this upgraded works provides a more efficient, compact and sustainable solution to wastewater management. Nereda® uses naturally occurring aerobic granular biomass to process sewage, enabling multiple treatment stages within a single tank while improving settling, reducing chemical use, and minimising the site footprint. Developed through long-term research at Delft University of Technology and industry partners, the technology underpins Winchburgh’s award‑winning redesign, which earned the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Major Project Award for Sustainability in 2025.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- PPE required (this will be provided on site):
-
- Hi-vis vest or jacket
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Steel toe cap boots or shoes
- Toilets available at treatment works