Eawag - Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology

Historical photo of Horn Richterswil on the shore of Lake Zurich. (Source: https://ba.e-pics.ethz.ch/catalog/ETHBIB.Bildarchiv/r/581286, edited by Water Science Policy)

January 26, 2023

January 26, 2023Where do the toxic metals come from at the bottom of Lake Zurich near Horn Richterswil? With analyses of sediment cores, researchers at Eawag were able to solve the mystery.

Sludge particles with the typical red anammox bacteria at the Mohnheim am Rhein (DE) wastewater treatment plant (photo: Adriano Joss, Eawag)

January 23, 2023

January 23, 2023Too much nitrogen enters many water bodies. The anammox process co-developed by Eawag can contribute to reducing outputs from wastewater treatment plants.

Prof. Urs von Gunten pictured in his office at Eawag with a collection of drinking water samples from all over the world. (Photo: Andri Bryner)

January 10, 2023

January 10, 2023Eawag researcher and EPFL professor, Urs von Gunten has been awarded a prize for outstanding services by the journal Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T).

Rooftop garden areas, such as this one on the 6th floor of the Toni Molkerei (dairy) site in Zurich, can contribute a great deal to water retention in the city (Photo: Brigitte Kisseleff, ERZ)

December 13, 2022

December 13, 2022The Aqua Urbanica symposium, co-organised by Eawag, explored the question of what is needed to implement the sponge city concept. With the help of this concept, cities should be able to mitigate the consequences of climate change.

Eawag’s experimental facility is currently investigating how rainfall affects the cleaning performance of the GAC filters. (Photo: Alessandro della Bella, Eawag)

December 6, 2022

December 6, 2022Currently, the first Swiss wastewater treatment plants are being upgraded with an additional treatment stage for the removal of micropollutants using granulated activated carbon (GAC), including the WWTP at Muri. Eawag provided technical support for the design of the installation and is also investigating unresolved issues.

For a long time the idyll on the Glatt was invisibly clouded by pollutants - now the situation has measurably improved. (Photo: Office for Water and Energy, Canton St. Gallen)

November 24, 2022

November 24, 2022Together with the Canton of St. Gallen, Eawag has been investigating the impact of the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant at Flawil to include a stage for the removal of micropollutants on water quality in the River Glatt. Initial results now show a very positive picture.

Modular technologies are to contribute to the sustainable development of Swiss urban water management. (Photo: iStock)

November 22, 2022

November 22, 2022New technologies in the water sector can contribute to the flexible and sustainable development of urban water management and the sustainable utilisation of water as a resource. In a recent article in the journal Aqua & Gas, a team of researchers from the aquatic research institute Eawag shows what opportunities and risks are associated with this.

Award of the Otto Jaag Water Protection Prize 2022 to Wenzel Gruber by ETH Rector Günther Dissertori (Photo: ETH, Nicola Pitaro)

November 21, 2022

November 21, 2022Eawag researchers Wenzel Gruber and Urs Schönenberger have won this year's Otto Jaag Water Protection Prize for their dissertations. Reducing emissions of the climate-damaging nitrous oxide from wastewater treatment plants and reducing the leaching of pesticides from drainage systems are the topics.

In the Water Hub in Empa and Eawag’s research and innovation building NEST, a distinction is made not only between yellow and black, but also between light and dark grey. (Photo: Eawag)

November 17, 2022

November 17, 2022No tiger duck and no football club - the formula "yellow-black-grey" refers to the separation of wastewater streams at their source, i.e. at the toilet, washbasin or shower. This opens up new possibilities and saves resources. On the occasion of World Toilet Day on 19 November, a series of Eawag fact sheets shows how this can be done.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria enter wastewater treatment plants through sewers. An Eawag research team investigated how they penetrate from there into the environment. (Photo: Alessandro Della Bella)

November 15, 2022

November 15, 2022Researchers at Eawag recommend setting up a monitoring system for antibiotic resistance in the synthesis report of the National Research Programme NRP 72 Antimicrobial resistance, similar to the wastewater monitoring for Sars-CoV-2.