Multiscale Environmental Process Engineering - MUVT

We investigate the data-driven, dynamic management of the urban water cycle to sustainably protect the environment. Our goal is a comprehensive analysis and targeted improvement of new technologies and concepts through integrated environmental and operational data acquisition and modeling.

"Multiscale" reflects our approach: we study environmental processes at every level simultaneously - from microscopic biological reactions in a treatment tank, to the pipes and pumps of a treatment plant, all the way up to the rivers, soils, and communities of an entire catchment.

At the Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management (ISWA), we operate a unique research wastewater treatment plant that gives us direct, hands-on access to real-world infrastructure. We extend the comprehensive wastewater treatment data already collected at the plant with observation of stormwater management in the surrounding catchment and freshwater quality monitoring in the wider environment.

In the field of urban water management, we pursue an integrative environmental protection approach. This includes not only the minimization of direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, but also energy and resource recovery from wastewater, and the sustainable management of sewage sludge and other residual materials.

We also take socio-economic realities seriously. Many technically sound solutions fail in practice due to costs, institutional constraints, or a lack of public acceptance. We support decision makers through risk and scenario analyses that account for these boundaries from the outset.

Our research and teaching are inseparable. Students contribute directly to the development of multiscale environmental process engineering through case studies, research projects, and thesis work - making the next generation of environmental engineers an active part of our work.