Research Infrastructure

The decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse (WWT&R) research, demonstration and training activities of the UFZ are actually conducted at five pilot sites that have complementary objectives and tasks.

The first site, located in Langenreichenbach, Germany, is focused on the design and optimization of ecotechnolgies.

The second site, the BDZ Demonstration Site in Leipzig, Germany, focuses on the comparison of different decentralized wastewater treatment technologies. The BDZ Demonstration Site in Leipzig serves a dual purpose; it is used for research but also for training and demonstration purposes.

The third pilot facility, Fuheis, is located near Amman, Jordan, and focuses on adapting selected technologies to arid climate conditions and demonstrating them to local stakeholders and end-users.

A fourth pilot plant is located at a refinery in Leuna, Germany and is dedicated to the investigation and development of ecotechnologies for the removal of volatile organic compounds such as BTEX and MTBE from contaminated groundwater.

The fifth site was constructed at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology in Darkhan. The research purpose of this infrastructure is to combine wastewater treatment with the production of willow and poplar trees (short rotation copecy).