Wastewater from human and livestock sources can harm health, ecosystems, and the economy. Current wastewater management (WWM) uses energy and chemicals inefficiently, is insufficiently flexible to adjust to uncertain climate change impacts, and can be too expensive for less affluent places. Furthermore, existing models used to assess WWM options tend to focus on specific areas and regulations, making it hard to unlock WWM’s full environmental and social benefits. The FOREWARD project will co-create with various stakeholders new models and technologies that are better for the water environment and climate, are more cost-effective, and work well in different places.