Germany's solar wastewater system cuts pollution 90% in disasters

A research team at the Technical University of Central Hesse (THM) in Germany is testing a compact, solar-powered wastewater treatment system designed for disaster and emergency scenarios where infrastructure and power are compromised. The pilot plant, deployed at the Lollar wastewater treatment facility since September, uses a reactor containing floating foam cubes that support biofilms of microorganisms to degrade pollutants. This system has demonstrated the ability to reduce chemical oxygen demand by 90% and remove 60-70% of nitrogen, meeting strict German wastewater standards. The project, named EnsAK, is funded by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology, and Space and involves industry partners Saygin & Stein and EMW filtertechnik GmbH. The plant operates continuously with regular sampling and analysis to monitor performance, aiming to maintain reliability across seasonal temperature variations during its planned two-year trial. Researchers are also conducting laboratory experiments to enhance efficiency by shortening wastewater residence time from 16 to 10 hours and reducing the volume of foam cubes needed. These improvements could