Ozwater’25 and its theme, ‘Looking Back, Moving Forward’ reaffirmed that the water industry stands at a pivotal moment—facing complex challenges such as climate change, population growth, and aging infrastructure, yet energised by innovation, collaboration, and shared purpose. There’s a strong sense of optimism and momentum, as seen in the enthusiastic embrace of new technologies like AI, the push towards net-zero emissions, and the integration of Indigenous perspectives and environmental values in project delivery. It’s clear we’re not just adapting—we’re leading the charge into a more resilient and sustainable water future.
Equally pressing is the call for equity and inclusion in water access and planning. Our team highlighted the importance of ensuring that safe, reliable water reaches all communities—urban, regional, and remote alike. The adoption of purified recycled water (PRW), while a proven global solution, remains a cultural and political hurdle in Australia. Moving forward, educating stakeholders and engaging communities will be critical to building trust and delivering water solutions that are fair, future-proof, and built to serve generations to come. That’s exactly why we created Wanda the Water Warrior—a children’s book with a big mission: to inspire young Australians to care for water and understand its value. At Sequana, we believe that water education starts at home.
When families feel empowered and informed, they can make water literacy part of everyday life — planting the seeds of knowledge through conversations and simple, relatable resources like Wanda. The more we weave water education into our daily routines, conversations and content, the more collective impact we can achieve. It’s about small, consistent actions that add up to a better future — for ourselves, future generations and the planet.
We are extremely grateful to WaterAid Australia and the Australian Water Association for helping us launch Wanda the Water Warrior at Ozwater. And to our industry colleagues who purchased a copy at the conference, 100% of the proceeds went directly to WaterAid. Together can inspire young minds and support clean water for all—because every child deserves clean water, everywhere.
Here are some insights from the Sequana team:
Frances Nelligan, QLD Market Leader
The water industry is a very exciting place to be right now. The ‘perfect storm’ of challenges like population growth, climate change and aging infrastructure isn’t easy to solve, but I feel confident that we can solve them, seeing the enthusiasm and talent in the industry that are ready to take it on. There’s such a buzz in the industry right now, and it feels like I’m exactly where I need to be. 
Rhys Anderson, Associate Director – Water Strategy & Growth
Ozwater was a great chance to catch up with friends, clients, and partners from across Australia and reflect on how far the water sector has come. The theme “Looking Back, Moving Forward” really hit home, especially demonstrating how quickly the water sector is needing to adopt, adapt and accept the growing role of AI in all aspects. For me and Sequana, it reinforced the role we all can play in helping to navigate the significant challenges ahead and the skillsets that are going to be required to do it well.
Shweta Gupta, Head of Pursuits
One of my biggest takeaways from Ozwater this year was that equitable access to safe, reliable water is still a challenge across many parts of Australia, especially in regional and remote communities. It’s something we often take for granted in urban areas, but the reality is very different for others. It really reinforced for me that water is not a privilege, it’s a basic right. And as an industry, we need to make sure the systems, investments and policies we’re putting in place don’t just serve the majority but truly reach everyone. Access to water shouldn’t depend on where you live, and it’s up to us to keep that front of mind as we plan, design and deliver solutions that are fair, inclusive, and built for the long term.
Dani Brunton, Senior Project Manager
The water sector is really looking forward to a new future where we will be drinking purified recycled water, our water authorities will have net-zero emissions. Our projects will integrate traditional owner perspectives and environmental solutions. From this perspective, the future of water is bright!
Darren Nabbs, Director – Program Delivery
At least 35 cities and communities worldwide have already accepted purified recycled water (PRW) as part of their drinking supply. In Australia, however, progress remains clouded by political reluctance. PRW is a game-changer for our water security – but the solution isn’t just technical, it’s cultural. Moving forward, we must focus on educating decision-makers that PRW is one of the most sustainable and resilient water solutions for Australia’s future.
Zoe Walsh, Director – Marketing, Communications and Engagement
I walked away from Ozwater feeling incredibly inspired. Especially hearing from Australian Water Association CEO, Corinne Cheeseman, who said, “The work we do now is the legacy others will inherit. “And as she rightly pointed out, Ozwater brought together the right people, in the right room, at the right time; and the Sequana team were so grateful to have been part of this. It is impossible not to feel empowered, inspired and united; we have the privilege and opportunity to come together and navigate some challenging but incredibly important times ahead. Top of mind for me is how we bring customers and communities on the journey, educating them, instilling confidence when it comes to change, as together we look to not only the future, but a sustainable water future for generations to come. All of my highlights are centred around people and the different interactions and conversations I had with colleagues, new connections and some absolute trailblazers. All with a common purpose. It was truly special to connect with so many passionate water professionals and have meaningful conversations about the role of water literacy in creating lasting behavioural change, together.
