Even though the development in the water sector seems slow, in retrospective there have been remarkable changes in the perception and approaches to water and wastewater systems in the last 30+ years. From the beginning of my career, I was confronted with a never-ending discovery of problematic contaminants and microorganisms in aquatic systems, mostly triggered by development of novel analytical tools. Starting from these practical problems, my research group performed basic and applied research to find treatment solutions to protect human and environmental health and developed prediction tools for future challenges. Thereby, the connection to the practical water sector was key to focus on the relevant questions and to implement solutions. In the lecture, selected examples will be presented, to illustrate highlights of my research in aquatic chemistry and beyond.