World Water Week, which took place in Stockholm, Sweden, from 17-23 August 2008, was organized around the theme “Progress and Prospects on Water: For a Clean and Healthy World with Special Focus on Sanitation.” The event was led by the Stockholm International Water Institute and brought together 2,500 experts, representing over 200 organizations.

Participants included representatives from regional development banks, waste management companies, humanitarian groups, think tanks, and several international organizations. The UN has declared 2008 the International Year of Sanitation, which provided the impetus for the World Water Week theme. With a focus on the Millennium Development Goals, the theme for World Water Week drew attention to sanitation needs and the effect of poor sanitation worldwide. Five prizes, including the Stockholm Industry Water Awards, were also offered during the Week, with the Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation District, California, being selected for its work in developing the world’s largest water purification plant for groundwater recharge, among other recipients.
Link to further information
World Water Week website