The William Dunbar Medal is awarded in recognition of an outstanding contribution in applied technical development in the field of sewage and waste treatment and disposal. This Award, donated by IFAT, the international trade fair for water, sewage, refuse, and recycling, which is organised by the Messe München International, has been adopted by the European Water Association.

The medal is awarded every two years to an individual of a member country of the EWA and is presented by the President of the EWA. The Dunbar Medal Award was originally handed over during the gala dinner of the opening ceremony of IFAT. Now it is awarded in a formal setting biannually on the eve of the Brussels Conference.

The award consists of a certificate and a gold medal, which bears the portrait of William Dunbar on one side, and on the other the logos of the EWA and IFAT.

Professor Hallvard Ødegaard

Professor Hallvard Ødegaard, a highly respected figure in the water sector and professor emeritus, has been awarded the prestigious Dunbar Medal 2023 for his remarkable contributions to the field of water engineering and research. With groundbreaking innovations in water treatment and an extensive body of work spanning over decades, Professor Ødegaard's expertise has revolutionized the industry.

He received the Dunbar Medal at a prestigious ceremony in Vienna on October 19th, 2023, during the ÖWAV/EWA Joint Conference: Water Resources subject to Climate Change Challenges in managing Extremes. You can look at the pictures of the ceremony and learn more about the conference here. 

You can read more about his achievements in our press release.