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WASTEWATER

Our goal is to transfer innovative solutions to practical applications. Classical wastewater topics are now established as autonomous research fields, for example phosphorous recovery, circular economy, wastewater reuse and the application of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring for wastewater-based epidemiology.

We explore technologies and concepts in the typical municipal wastewater treatment, for process water treatment and for the treatment of industrial wastewater, for example from paper, food or textile industry in a national and international context.

At the core of wastewater treatment are anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic biological processes. We work with systems containing suspended, granular or fixed biomass. Separation technologies range from (chemically enhanced) sedimentation, over filtration to nanofiltration and reverse osmosis. Adsorptive and oxidative elimination of micropollutants are also part of our research portfolio.

As wastewater is more and more viewed as a resource, we develop new and reexplore old concepts to guarantee chemical and biological parameters, for example in direct wastewater reuse.

The use of biomass for energy purposes offers significant benefits for wastewater treatment facilities. For several decades we have proven experience in the field of anaerobic digestion processes. Currently we are looking into promising technologies to maximize energy output from biomass and the application of microbiological processes for biogas desulfurization.

Modern agriculture is hardly possible without using fertilizers and producing quantities of manure and digestate. While anaerobic manure treatment is largely explored, there are still wastewater streams, like washing water from milking or courtyard runoff that are not captured and treated. We are working on integrating nature-based solutions, combined with modern control systems into established treatment options. The focus lies on the development and distribution of tailor-made treatment concepts to achieve significant emission reductions.

We develop new wastewater and sludge treatment technologies in cooperation with industrial partners, that focus on energy efficiency and resource recovery. Dynamic modelling of these processes is a key aspect in efficiency optimization. The simulation-based approach for development of measuring, control and regulation concepts enables system behavior studies, that allow tight integration of for example WWTP into energy networks. Simulation-based design and dimensioning of processes and equipment facilitates cost reduction and energy efficiency in the realized projects.

Furthermore, combinations of treatment process, sewage system, and energy demand simulation allow us to get an integral picture of the whole network, to allow for tightly integrated solutions.

Municipal wastewater is a mirror of society. With SARS-CoV-2 as the nucleus for development of wastewater-based epidemiology, it is expected to be one of the growing research fields. Infected individuals shed SARS-CoV-2 gene material into the sewer system. This allows for an integral picture of COVID19 infections inside a WWTP catchment area that is not based on the individuals testing habits. Since the beginning of the pandemic we work with partners from wastewater and virology research institutions and several water associations in North Rhine-Westphalia. Our focus lies in the development and roll-out of practical, decentralized solutions for SARS-CoV-2 detection and quantification, as well as communication of the results to local, state and federal health authorities. Currently, we are working on transferring the knowledge into other fields of interest.

References

awaregio | Waterreuse

awaregio | Waterreuse

Modular wastewater treatment processes for the reuse in agriculture, aquaponics and the substitution of drinking water resources

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COVIDready

Transfer from research into routine application

Holistic evaluation of available findings of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring for the pandemic assessment in North Rhine-Westphalia

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ENTfrachtEN

Pollution load based sewer management in Cologne

ENTfrachtEN – Development of an integral process measuring and control technology concept for pollution load based real-time control of wastewater discharge with the aim of surface water relief.

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GREEN-BEE

Methanol synthesis from sewage gas

GREEN-BEE - Market- and product-oriented further development of the concept for synthesizing methanol from sewage gas

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GreenFactory SARTEX | Tunisia

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GreenFactory SARTEX in Tunisia

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I-WALAMAR | Morocco

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I-WALAMAR – Water- und land management in Morocco

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InoCottonGROW | Pakistan

From cotton field to hanger

InoCottonGROW – Global cotton textile industry: the german water footprint in Pakistan

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Sewage sludge management | Hannover

Sewage sludge management in Hannover

Market and potential study sewage sludge for the North-East Region and the Hannover Metropolitan Region

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Sewage sludge management | Rhine-Hunsrück

Sewage sludge management in the Rhine-Hunsrück district (Germany)

Future treatment and utilization of sewage sludge from the sewage treatment plants of the municipalities of the Rhine-Hunsrück district in Germany

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Sewage sludge management | Tunisia

Water management in Tunisia after the Arab Spring

Sewage sludge management in Tunisia

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NitroSX

Anoxic Biowash for Biogas Desulfurization as a Contribution to the Climate Future

NitroSX – Microbiological Biogas Desulphurisation

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Maturity Model Wastewater 4.0

Maturity Model Wastewater disposal 4.0

From the maturity model to the digitalisation roadmap

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SewerScan

SewerScan

SewerScan – digital recording of sewers

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Trace substance elimination

Trace substance elimination from CP plants

Best Available Techniques (BAT) for reducing the entry of micropollutants from wastewater of CP Treatment Plants for hazardous waste into water bodies

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subKRITIS

subKRITIS

Assessment of the IT security level of small and medium-sized wastewater treatment plants in North Rhine-Westphalia below the KritisV

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Textile curved sieve

Textile curved sieve

Filter system for solids separation from wastewater streams with low-maintenance cleaning concept based on structured pile textiles with defined separation behavior

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TransPhoR

TransPhoR

Holistic approaches for a sustainable phosphorus cycle

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Urban-NEXUS Concept | Jakarta

Integrated resource management in Southeast Asia

Urban-NEXUS concept for sustainable wastewater collection and treatment in Jakarta

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WaterReTunE | Tunisia

WaterReTunE

Water Reuse in Tunisia

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