As part of their applied learning experience, ETIA students visited the main sewage treatment plant of Vienna, öffnet eine externe URL in einem neuen Fenster, a flagship facility in urban wastewater management. The tour was led by DI Dr. Gerald Wandl, who guided the group through the plant’s biological treatment stages, sludge processing units, and energy-recovery systems. Students were able to see how wastewater from a metropolitan area of nearly two million people is transformed and purified before being released back into the environment.

A special contribution came from Univ. Prof. Helmut Kroiss, long-time advisor to the Vienna treatment plant and a distinguished lecturer within the ETIA program. Drawing from decades of experience in wastewater management and environmental engineering, Prof. Kroiss contextualised the plant’s evolution, explaining how integrated resource management, energy optimisation, and process innovation have shaped its development. His insights helped students link what they have learned in class to the operational, regulatory, and technological realities of managing such a large-scale facility.

Prof. Kroiss also connected us to the company VTA, öffnet eine externe URL in einem neuen Fenster, a leading international provider of advanced wastewater treatment solutions. At VTA, students explored a broad suite of technologies ranging from chemical and biological optimisation products to systems designed for the removal of micropollutants such as microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and chemical residues. Andreas Gabriel, MSc, andhis colleagues explained how VTA brings together applied research and industrial practice to develop treatment solutions that help wastewater plants operate more efficiently, more sustainably, and with a markedly lower environmental footprint.

For the ETIA students, these excursions provided a valuable bridge between theory and practice and also highlighted the interdisciplinary spirit of the ETIA program, equipping future professionals with the knowledge and perspective needed to tackle complex global environmental issues.

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