Speaker: Dr. Ulrich Dittmer
Place: Forum Chriesbach, FC-C24

Strategies to reduce emissions of organic micropollutants from urban water systems often focus on WWTP effluent and neglect the impact of stormwater outlets and combined sewer overflows (CSO). In the study to be presented CSO discharge and WWTP effluent were sampled during dry and wet weather. Samples were analyzed for 69 trace compounds representing groups with different sources, pathways and physico-chemical properties. At the study site CSO discharge contributes only 11 % to the total emitted volume of the waste water system. Yet it represents 25 % to 94 % of the annual loads of 28 pollutants. Consequences for future monitoring and management of wet weather discharges and pollutant loads from urban areas will be discussed.

Ulrich Dittmer is a recognized scientist working on wet weather pollution from urban areas, with a special focus on particulate pollution and organic micropollutants and treatment-technologies for stormwater  the fields of environmental engineering and chemistry. He is also strongly involved in science-to-policy activities and knowledge transfer into practice.