1936-1952

At the beginning of the last century the improved water supply systems in towns led to problems in disposing of waste waster that was passed into waterways either untreated or at best after mechanical treatment. Therefore in 1933 the Swiss Angling Association demanded that the Swiss Interior Ministry take measures to combat the increasing levels of water pollution and set up an advisory centre for water treatment. On 1 January 1936 the Federal Council established the “ETH Advisory Centre for Waste Water Treatment and Drinking Water Supply”. The Hygiene Institute, led by Professor Willi von Gonzenbach, and the Aquatic Engineering Test Facility, headed by Professor Eugen Meyer-Peter, formed the basis of the new institute. In addition to providing advisory services, it focused on research and education in the field of waste water treatment technology as well as on monitoring the quality of water as a control instrument for the correct operation of treatment plants.

In 1945 the Advisory Centre became the Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology, affiliated to the ETH. It was headed by Dr. Ulrich Corti, a chemist.