Water is without doubt the biggest challenge of the 21st century. At a time when the water industry is experiencing unprecedented challenges and the question of infrastructure development looms large on the horizon, the National Water Summit is set to become this year’s most topical industry event, with a programme focused firmly on usage reform, quality and conservation and effective water management. Innovation is vital and the National Water Summit will be canvassing some of the latest strategies for meeting demand and sourcing and securing water supplies across the nation.

About the conference

2008 has seen significant developments happening for one of Ireland’s most important natural resources. One of the main challenges that Ireland faces over the next decade is to achieve ‘good water status’ for all waters by 2015 as set out in the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The industry is also facing the challenges beset from the profound impact of climate change which has been felt more than ever over the past 12 months. The water services investment programme comprises of some 955 projects with a capital value of 5.8 billion, and the importance of the success and timely delivery of these initiatives is vital in order to meet the needs of our growing population and increasing commercial demands…

The 2nd National Water Summit will once again provide a forum for the entire water industry to debate the future direction of the sector. Following the success of our inaugural event, the 2nd annual National Water Summit will bring together Ireland’s leading water experts who will meet to debate industry reforms, current challenges and opportunities, and other initiatives – critical for the sustainability of the water industry.

Meet and network with the people shaping the future of the Irish water industry...

The 2nd National Water Summit will once again provide a forum for the entire water industry to debate the future direction of the sector. Following the success of our inaugural event, the 2nd annual National Water Summit will bring together Ireland’s leading water experts who will meet to debate industry reforms, current challenges and opportunities, and other initiatives – critical for the sustainability of the water industry.

The National Water Summit is a must-attend event for the water and wastewater sector, bringing together CEOs and senior level representatives from water companies, water and waste water treatment companies, policy makers and water authorities across Ireland and the EU. This event will be big on interactivity and big on networking opportunities!

• Local Authority Managers
• Local Authority Engineers
• Heads of Water Services/Supply
• General Managers (Asset Mgt, Planning, Maintenance, Recycling, Wastewater Mgt)
• Project Directors/Managers
• Procurement Managers
• Infrastructure Managers
• Planning Officials
• lTechnical Managers
• Large Water Users
• Consultants
• Finance & Legal Managers

• Climate change and the required paradigm shifts in water management
• The carbon critical design agenda
• Water policy and water usage reform – strategic priorities
• New directives and standards – tools for the trade
• The water framework directive – the way forward
• Charging
• Water conservation
• Assessing the cryptosporidium risk – panel debate
• Security of supply
• Major capital water projects update
• Flexible approaches to infrastructure delivery
• Charging / water demand on schemes before and after charging
• Private schemes
• River basin management plans
• Relationship between septic tanks / wastewater treatment systems and
• water pollution
• Waste water management strategies
• Water/wastewater treatment

Sample list of companies in attendance at the 2007 Water Summit

Trinity College, USGS Georgia Water Science Ctr, Department of the Environment, EPS, Northern Ireland Water, ESAI, A&L Goodbody Solicitors, South Western River Basin District, Celtic Water Management UK, KPMG, Scottish Water, Earth Tech Ireland, IFA, National University of Ireland, Bord na Móna Environmental Ltd, Muin Associates, Cavan County Council, Anord Control Systems Ltd,Tobin Consulting, Cork County Council, South Tipperary County Council, Sligo County Council, Severn Trent Services International, Fingal County Council, Limerick County Council, Parsons Brinckerhoff Ireland, Sisk Construction,Treatment Systems Services Ltd, McCann Fitzgerald, Wicklow County Council, Galway County Council, Shay Murtagh, Forfas, HRD Technologies

Keynote speakers

Dr Ike van der Putte, Director, RPS

Dr Ike van der Putte is Director of External Relations and International Environmental Affairs with RPS in the Netherlands. RPS is an international consultancy providing advice on the responsible development of natural resources, land and property, the management of the environment and the health and safety of people. Dr van der Putte is a member of the Sustainable Development Task Force of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and former chairman of the environment committees of FIDIC and the European Federation of Consulting Engineers (EFCA). He is the main author of the FIDIC business guideline for environment and co-author of the FIDIC guidelines on sustainable development and project sustainability management. In the Netherlands he is chairman of the committee on natural disaster reduction and mitigation of the Netherlands Association of Consulting Engineers (ONRI) and advisory board member of the International Conference Centre (Amsterdam RAI – Aquaterra) on sustainable development in delta areas. He is currently chairman of the board of the UNEP Sustainable Buildings and Construction Initiative (UNEP/SBCI) and member of its Benchmarking and Climate Change Think Tanks.

Dr Colin Fricker, CRF Consulting

Dr Colin Fricker has 30 years experience in environmental microbiology, much of it working directly with the water industry. He received his PhD from University of Reading 1987. Fricker was awarded the WH Pierce prize for "outstanding contributions to microbiology 1986". He was former Head of Microbiology,Thames Water, UK, and now runs an international consulting company covering many aspects of water quality. Dr Fricker is heavily involved in the development of methods for the detection of cryptosporidium in water. He was scientific adviser to the Royal Commission investigating the Sydney Water Crisis in 1998 and works extensively in North and South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Professor John Anthony Allan

Professor John Anthony Allan heads the Water Research Group at King's College London/SOAS. He specialises in the analysis of water resources in semi-arid regions and on the role of global systems in ameliorating local and regional water deficits. His original background was in hyrdological and environmental sciences. Professor Allan now focuses on the social and political because they explain why people manage water as they do. In the past decade has provided advice to governments in the Middle East region [Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Palestine] and agencies [World Bank, FAO, UNDP, DFID, Netherlands MFA, Swedish MFA] and especially in the Middle East on water policy andº water policy reform. Professor Allan most recent book is entitled The Middle East water question: hydropolitics and the global economy.The KCL/SOAS Water Research Group has had a major influence on strategic thinking on water resources by drawing attention to the non-water sector solutions that very effectively address water deficits – namely trade and socio-economic development.Their other research and consultancy focuses on water policy reform, on financing investment in water infrastructure and international relations over transboundary waters. He was awarded the Stockholm Water Prize in August 2008

Tony Iles, MSc, BSc, Associate Director, Atkins

A G Iles, associate director, Atkins Water & Environment, MSc, BSc and is an associate director within Atkins Environmental Sustainability team.Tony has over 30 year’s practical experience of environmental assessment and management and is currently on the Carbon Critical Design leadership team at Atkins. He has recently completed a secondment to BERR where he assisted in writing the UK Strategy for Sustainable Construction. He is currently on part-time secondment to the Construction Industry Council where he is Chair of the Carbon Working Group.The role of this group is to work with the professional bodies and the Strategic Forum for Construction in the delivery of low carbon design.

Tony has been fundamentally involved with Carbon Critical Design change process within Atkins, including the design of internal training courses and providing leadership on strategic discussions with Atkins clients; aiming to change the design question to provide a focus on zero carbon design and construction.