John Duncan Watson

John Duncan Watson (7 March 1860 – 1946) was a British civil engineer.

Watson was born in Dundee, Scotland on 7 March 1860. He specialised in sanitation and was regarded as a pioneer in the development of sewage treatment. At Birmingham he was responsible for the construction of the first large-scale percolating filter plant, a complete departure from the traditional land treatment in use in the city and elsewhere.

Watson became General Manager of Birmingham Agricultural College by 1920 where he undertook investigations into tuberculosis in cattle. By 1920 he was also a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and a fellow of the Royal Sanitary Institute. In his retirement he joined his son, David Mowat Watson, who was also a member of the ICE, in his private engineering consultancy practice. Watson died in Birmingham in 1946. His son, David Watson followed in his footsteps in November 1954 by also becoming president of the ICE.