Hosted by Sciens Water in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, the 1st Rethinking Water UK Conference will convene on 25 November 2025 at the historic Royal Institution, in the heart of London.
This one-day conference will serve as a hub for knowledge exchange and cross-sector dialogue, bringing together a range of water professionals rarely convened together. From industry leaders, C-Suite Executives and investors to government organisations, environmental stewards and academics, participants will explore the most pressing challenges and opportunities in water today.
Join us at the Rethinking Water UK Conference 2025 and make a difference!
HOSTS
This one-day conference will serve as a hub for knowledge exchange and cross-sector dialogue, bringing together a range of water professionals rarely convened together. From industry leaders, C-Suite Executives and investors to government organisations, environmental stewards and academics, participants will explore the most pressing challenges and opportunities in water today.
Join us at the Rethinking Water UK Conference 2025 and make a difference!
HOSTS
Location
The Royal Institution
21 Albemarle Street, W1S 4BS
London, UK
21 Albemarle Street, W1S 4BS
London, UK
Date & Time
25 November 2025, 8:00am - 5:00pm
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Programme of the Day
8:00 AM
Registration and Morning Coffee
9:00 AM
A Welcome from the University of Cambridge & Sciens Water
Join us as Edoardo Borgomeo (Associate Professor of Water Engineering, University of Cambridge) and Roberto Botero (Managing Director, Sciens Water), introduce the exciting events prepared for the day!
9:15 AM
Opening Keynote: Water Science for Catchment Management
Jim Hall FRS FREng (Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks, University of Oxford)
10:00 AM
Panel 1: Global Water Utilities: Navigating Uncertainties and Lessons from the UK and US
Moderated by Edoardo Borgomeo (Associate Professor of Water Engineering, University of Cambridge)
Panelists:
Eric Skrmetta (Louisiana Public Service State Commissioner)
Aaron Silas (Assistant Vice President, Customer Experience & Regulatory Operations, CSWR)
Tim Williams (Strategic Growth & Business Development Director, Water, Stantec)
Geoff Darch (Head of Strategic Asset Planning, Anglian Water)
Martyn Andrews (Director of Major Projects and Markets, Ofwat)
Panelists:
Eric Skrmetta (Louisiana Public Service State Commissioner)
Aaron Silas (Assistant Vice President, Customer Experience & Regulatory Operations, CSWR)
Tim Williams (Strategic Growth & Business Development Director, Water, Stantec)
Geoff Darch (Head of Strategic Asset Planning, Anglian Water)
Martyn Andrews (Director of Major Projects and Markets, Ofwat)
11:15 AM
Water: An Investor's Perspective
John Rigas (Chairman and CEO, Sciens Water)
12:00 PM
Lunch, Networking & Film Screenings
Join us in the Theatre for a selection of short film screenings from the World Water Film Festival and the BraveBlueWorld Foundation:
World Water Film Festival Introduction
What about the Drinking Water (Southern Exposure Film, Alabama Rivers Alliance - 2022)
Clean Water for All (PositiveNegatives - 2023)
Instikelelo Yamanzi (Film School Africa - 2024)
SLUDGE - PFAS Uprising (Side Road Media - 2023)
Excerpt from Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey (BraveBlueWorld, BlueTech Research - 2024)
World Water Film Festival Introduction
What about the Drinking Water (Southern Exposure Film, Alabama Rivers Alliance - 2022)
Clean Water for All (PositiveNegatives - 2023)
Instikelelo Yamanzi (Film School Africa - 2024)
SLUDGE - PFAS Uprising (Side Road Media - 2023)
Excerpt from Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey (BraveBlueWorld, BlueTech Research - 2024)
1:15 PM
Panel 2: From VC to Development Banks: Leveraging the Full Spectrum of Financing Solutions for Water
Moderated by Dr Judith Plummer-Braeckman (Fellow, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership)
Panelists:
John Robinson (Partner, Mazarine Ventures)
Dr Rachael Barza (Associate Director, Lead Climate Adaptation and Nature Finance, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development)
Florian Stöger (Managing Partner, Raymond James)
Alex Loucopoulos (Partner, Sciens Water)
Panelists:
John Robinson (Partner, Mazarine Ventures)
Dr Rachael Barza (Associate Director, Lead Climate Adaptation and Nature Finance, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development)
Florian Stöger (Managing Partner, Raymond James)
Alex Loucopoulos (Partner, Sciens Water)
2:30 PM
Afternoon Coffee & Tea
3:00 PM
Breakout Sessions
Measuring Water Footprints in the Real World
Moderated by Ioannis Bitsios (Director of Research, Sciens Water)
Panelists: Esther Crauser-Delbourg (Co-Founder and CEO, Waterwiser) and Rick Hogeboom (Executive Director, Water Footprint Network)
Water Tasting with a Water Sommelier
Hosted by Milin Patel (Water Sommelier and Consultant, World of Water Consultancy) and joined by Jamal Qureshi (Founder and CEO, Svalbarði Polar Iceberg Water)
Company Exhibition Stands
Companies: EVOVE, Manhole Metrics, IconLifeSaver, Fluvialycs and Molendotech
Moderated by Ioannis Bitsios (Director of Research, Sciens Water)
Panelists: Esther Crauser-Delbourg (Co-Founder and CEO, Waterwiser) and Rick Hogeboom (Executive Director, Water Footprint Network)
Water Tasting with a Water Sommelier
Hosted by Milin Patel (Water Sommelier and Consultant, World of Water Consultancy) and joined by Jamal Qureshi (Founder and CEO, Svalbarði Polar Iceberg Water)
Company Exhibition Stands
Companies: EVOVE, Manhole Metrics, IconLifeSaver, Fluvialycs and Molendotech
4:00 PM
Closing Keynote: Making Delivery Models Work for Us
Amar Qureshi (Joint CEO and Co-Founder, Agilia Infrastructure Partners)
4:30 PM
Water Quiz and Prize, sponsored by Asprey London
Speakers
Martyn Andrews
Director, Major Projects and Markets, Ofwat
Dr Rachael Barza
Associate Director, Lead Climate Adaptation and Natural Finance, EBRD
Ioannis Bitsios
Director of Research, Sciens Water
Edoardo Borgomeo
Associate Professor of Engineering, University of Cambridge
Esther Crauser-Delbourg
Co-Founder and CEO, Waterwiser
Geoff Darch
Head of Strategic Asset Planning, Anglian Water
Jim Hall FRS FREng
Professor of Climate and Environment Risks, University of Oxford
Rick Hogeboom
Executive Director, Water Footprint Network
Alex Loucopoulos
Partner, Sciens Water
Milin Patel
Water Sommelier and Consultant, World of Water Consultancy
Dr Judith Plummer-Braeckman
Fellow, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
Amar Qureshi
Joint CEO and Co-Founder, Agilia Infrastructure Partners
Jamal Qureshi
Founder and CEO, Svalbarði Polar Iceberg Water
John Rigas
Chairman and CEO, Sciens Water
John Robinson
Partner, Mazarine Ventures
Aaron Silas
Assistant Vice President, Customer Experience & Regulatory Operations, CSWR
Eric Skrmetta
Public Service Commissioner, Louisiana State
Florian Stöger
Managing Director, Raymond James
Tim Williams
Strategic Growth and Business Development Director, Water, Stantec
What People Say About Rethinking Water
"I think it's really important that there are spaces where people from across the water industry—and frankly, people outside of it who share a connection to water, which is all of us—can really come together and exchange creativity and resources. This way, we can tackle these problems from multiple angles at once because no one of us has all of the answers. And so being part of the solutions together requires collaboration, and places like this can make that happen."
Matt Fitzgerald, Co-Founder and Campaign Director of #TEAMWATER
Matt Fitzgerald, Co-Founder and Campaign Director of #TEAMWATER
"We are moving from RETHINKING water to TRANSFORMING water."
Professor Upmandu Lall, Director of the Water Institute at Arizona State University and Co-Founder of Rethinking Water
Professor Upmandu Lall, Director of the Water Institute at Arizona State University and Co-Founder of Rethinking Water
"These events are so critical because it's going to take all of us, the corporate regulators, government, philanthropists, students and activists. It's going to take all of us in order to solve the water crisis, which is infinitely solvable."
Kelly Parsons, CEO of WaterAid America
Kelly Parsons, CEO of WaterAid America
A Lookback at Rethinking Water NY 2025
The sixth iteration of the Rethinking Water NY, held in partnership with Columbia University, brought together more than 500 participants both in-person and virtually to discuss key challenges and opportunities for collaboration in the water space. We're building on those conversations to advance solutions as the Rethinking Water conferences continue to expand, and looking to make the water crisis as solvable as a Rubik's cube.
Join the conversation and be part of the solution.
Join the conversation and be part of the solution.
