Wastewater Treatment

Austria provides clean water all over the world with best available technology

The domestic sewage technology sector has a broad range of services. The following tasks are covered by domestic companies in connection with the construction, operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment infrastructure by means of innovative products and services:

• Rehabilitation of existing wastewater pipes and canals
• Water loss analyzes (leakage detection)
• Sewage collection and drain (sewer cleaning, sewer TV access)
• Mechanical / physical cleaning procedures
• Biological cleaning methods
• Chemical cleaning
• Novel combined sewage treatment processes
• Sewage sludge treatment

Austria's water technology and water services companies are present on the international markets with industry-specific know-how, innovations and published patents.

The sector is strongly characterized by small and medium-sized enterprises, which promotes networking and cooperation with research facilities and industrial partners, nationally and internationally, across several disciplines.

The R & D landscape is shaped by the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna, the University of Innsbruck, the Montanuniversität Leoben as well as the Graz University of Technology and the Vienna University of Technology. These universities have the greatest importance as co-operation partner with innovative water technology providers. The extra mural sector is formed by the Institute for Water, Energy and Sustainability (Resources) of Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (Business Unit Environmental Resources & Technologies). They are renowned partners in business cooperations.

• The installment of a waste water treatment for 1 million people in Saudi Arabia is an example of the international success of Austrian technologies.
• 200.000  m³ waste water can be cleaned per day. Biogas is generated from sewage sludge, which in turn supplies electricity for the operation of the plant.

Waste water purification is a key element in water protection. Therefore, extensive measures have been taken in Austria over the past decades.

• Since 1959, more than 45 billion euros have been invested in the construction and maintenance of public wastewater treatment plants.
• As a result, more than 94% of the population are connected to municipal wastewater treatment