British Water has signed a co-operation agreement with the Australian Water Association, opening new opportunities for knowledge exchange between the UK and Australian water sectors.
The Memorandum of Action was signed at Ozwater’26, the Australian Water Association’s flagship water event, held in Brisbane at the end of May.
The agreement is designed to support collaboration in areas including water reuse, the circular economy, nature-based solutions and workforce events.
British Water AWA partnership supports international knowledge exchange
The British Water AWA partnership will give Australian Water Association members a route to engage more closely with the UK water sector.
British Water said the agreement would support shared learning, collaboration and workforce capacity building between the two organisations’ members.
The Australian Water Association was founded in 1962 and has a membership of around 5,000 individuals and businesses. Its members include utilities, regulators, government bodies, research organisations and technology partners.
Collaboration to focus on water reuse and circular economy
The partnership will focus on areas of shared interest across the UK and Australian water sectors.
These include water reuse, the circular economy, nature-based solutions and workforce-related events. British Water and AWA will also work together at international events.
The organisations said this would improve opportunities to learn from global experience and highlight UK water expertise to new audiences.
British Water says agreement can support innovation
Lila Thompson, CEO of British Water, said: “This partnership with the Australian Water Association reflects British Water’s mission to amplify collaboration across the global water sector. It will give our members access to valuable best practice insights and experiences on shared industry challenges and facilitate strategic partnerships that can aid business development and support transformation. By strengthening links between the UK and Australia water sectors, we are creating practical opportunities for knowledge exchange, innovation and international engagement that will help our members to manage the big change happening in the sector.”
AWA highlights international partnerships
Corinne Cheeseman, Chief Executive of the Australian Water Association, said: “Strong international partnerships are essential to solving the water challenges of today and tomorrow. We are delighted to formalise this new agreement between Australian Water Association and British Water, strengthening collaboration between our organisations and creating new opportunities for our members to connect, learn and innovate,”
The agreement adds to British Water’s wider programme of international Memoranda of Action and Memoranda of Understanding, which are designed to connect water companies, researchers and sector organisations across global markets.
For more updates on water sector partnerships, visit the H2O Global News Associations section.
