Since its construction was approved in 2007, the State Key Laboratory has made great efforts to organize academic exchanges and build an open academic environment.  The laboratory hosts domestic and foreign 3-5 conferences a year to attract domestic and foreign experts and scholars to the laboratory for academic exchanges.  At the same time, the laboratory staff are encouragedto participate in international academic activities, and participate in hundreds of international academic exchange activities every year.

The laboratory adheres to open operation, strengthens exchanges and cooperation, and continuously improves its international influence and competitiveness.  Five laboratory members were elected as members of the International Water Association (IWA), three laboratory members were elected as members of the Royal Society of Chemistry.The laboratory established 10 international joint research centers such as the International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecology with the University of Alberta, Canada, St. Petersburg State University of Russia, and Berlin Water Group.  The Urban Water Science Forum is Foundedwith the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the International Water Association.The high-level international journal Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (ESE) in the field of environmentis initiated and createdwith the first impact factor 9.371.