Eawag - Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology

Eawag is one of the world’s leading aquatic research institutes. With its professional diversity, close partnerships with practitioners and an international network, Eawag offers an excellent environment for the study of water as a habitat and resource, for identifying problems at an early stage and for developing widely accepted solutions.

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Vermifilter in Geneva, Switzerland (Photo: Kayla Coppens, Eawag)

News

How local materials and climate shape optimal ...

March 30, 2026

The sanitation objective of Sustainable Development Goal 6, sanitation for all, is off-track and far from being completed by 2030. Vermifiltration could help address this gap: The nature-based sanitation management system shows increasing promise globally because of its low cost. Researchers at Eawag’s Sandec department visited vermifilter installations in India and Switzerland to examine how local differences influence their optimal design.

Children fetching water at foot pump in rural Togo (Photo: Jess MacArthur, 2013)

Interview

World Water Day: "Where water flows, equality grows"

March 19, 2026

Since 1992, the United Nations has designated 22 March as World Water Day. In 2026, the theme will be "Water and Gender". What does water have to do with gender equality? And why does access to water determine education, dignity and power? We discuss this with Jessica MacArthur, knowledge broker in Eawag's Research Department for Sanitation and Water for Development (Sandec).

The melting of glaciers is changing food webs in aquatic environments, as seen here in Greenland, but also in alpine regions. (Foto: Coralie Moccetti)

Institutional

Otto Jaag Prize awarded twice for 2025

March 13, 2026

Using isotope markers to break down food webs and track changes in them, as well as tracing the pathways and accumulation of pollutants in aquatic organisms – the Otto Jaag Water Protection Prize was awarded in 2025 for two exciting and highly topical doctoral theses.

News

Monitoring Community Health Through Drainage in Kampala

March 12, 2026

Can urban drainage system serve as a proxy for disease surveillance? Eawag and partners in Uganda explore a new approach to public health surveillance.

Serina Robinson has been appointed assistant professor by the ETH Board. (Photo: Leonardo Biasio, Eawag)

Institutional

Assistant professorship for Serina Robinson

March 6, 2026

The ETH Board has appointed Serina Robinson as Assistant Professor of Environmental Biochemistry. The scientist heads a research group in the Environmental Microbiology Department at Eawag.

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Health – Water and well-being

Biodiversity – Threatened water habitats

Climate – Water at the centre of the climate crisis

Cycles – Closing cycles sustainably

30.03.2026

Surf Seminar

A research journey to the essence of the water-energy-food nexus across continents and cultures

1.00 pm

Eawag Kastanienbaum, Seminar room Seeheim & online via Zoom

07.04.2026

Umik Seminar

Trade-off between motility and antagonistic activity: A Spatiotemporal Battle within Effective Boundaries

4.00 pm

Eawag Dübendorf FC-C20 & online

08.04.2026

Eco Seminar

Hosts and parasites under the microscope: evolution in a microbial alga-virus system

11.00 am

Eawag Dübendorf, Forum Chriesbach FC-C20

Eawag’s two sites are characterised by office and laboratory buildings as well as research facilities such as the experimental ponds in Dübendorf and the boathouse in Kastanienbaum. But if you look closely, you will discover works of art between the buildings, mostly created as “art in construction”. They offer creative insights into research and local history – and invite you to explore.

we are investigating the basis for clean drinking water and sustainable management of drinking water resources.

we are investigating how to optimise wastewater infrastructures and overcome new challenges.

our research contributes to understanding and conserving aquatic biodiversity.

we are investigating biotic communities and their habitats in order to conserve ecosystem services for us humans.

we are investigating the effect of chemical substances on the environment and developing methods to remove them from drinking water, wastewater and bodies of water.