IWW Water Centre
Water research is becoming increasingly interlinked at national and international level to ensure that the global challenges in the water sector are tackled on a joint front. As part of a global network of scientific institutions, industrial R&D centres, technology companies, standardization bodies, organizations and authorities, IWW is a founding member of the Aqua Research Collaboration ARC, a network of European water research institutes, and a member of the Questor Centre research network located in Belfast, which coordinates research projects driven and financed by industry.
IWW regularly organizes national and international conferences, for example the 4th International Water Contamination and Emergencies Conference (WCEC4) in 2010. Over three days, 175 experts from 22 different countries discussed the latest findings and strategies in connection with preventive protection of the drinking water supply in possible crisis and emergency situations. As a result of the great success of the conference, the WCEC5 is also to be organized by IWW in 2012.
The international LESAM 2011 – Leading Edge Conference for Strategic Asset Management – in September 2011, which was supported by the International Water Association (IWA) and organized by IWW and FiW (an affiliated institute of the Technical University of Aachen), further reinforced the good reputation of the IWW at international level. At the conference, the entire range of topics relating to asset management for drinking water and waste water infrastructure was discussed.
Every other year IWW organizes the International Muelheim Water Award donated by RWE Aqua and RWW. The Muelheim Water Award stands for expertise, innovative solutions and international recognition of research. The main emphasis is on practical and applied approaches in water management.