Imagine the city as a giant funnel where rain washes oil and trash from streets straight into rivers. This work creates a smart 'filter and alarm' system that catches pollutants before they hit the water. It uses sensors to spot pollution in real-time and special soil filters to clean the water. It's like giving a city a high-tech kidney to keep its waterways healthy.
Urban runoff and sewer overflows dump high pollutant loads into freshwaters, a problem worsened by climate change. Current treatment infrastructures are insufficient to handle these diffusive pollution pathways in dense city environments.
The project developed online monitoring sensors, data processing tools for water quality, and advanced retention soil filters. These were validated through assessment reports across multiple case studies.
If you are a water utility dealing with combined sewer overflows during heavy rain — this project developed online sensors and data processing that allow you to track and reduce pollutant loads. This helps you meet environmental standards more affordably.
If you are a consultancy dealing with strict urban runoff regulations — this project developed tools to support the selection and implementation of pollutant mitigation measures. You can now offer clients evidence-based nature-based solutions for city drainage.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with the need for compact urban treatment systems — this project developed advanced retention soil filters for combined sewer overflow treatment. These can be integrated better into crowded urban areas than traditional plants.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not mentioned, but the objective is to provide solutions that are affordable to end-users and society.
The project tests integrated solutions across different geographic and climatic settings using case studies, suggesting a path toward scalable urban deployment.
Based on available project data, there is no specific information regarding IP or licensing terms.
The project is driven by the evaluation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and the need to mitigate pollutant loads from stormwater overflows.
The project period runs from 2022-09-01 to 2025-08-31, with final evaluations expected by the end of this period.
It uses online sensors and data processing to enable targeted interventions at the source, retention, and treatment stages of urban catchments.
The consortium shows a strong commercial orientation with an industry ratio of 55%, comprising 6 industry partners (including 2 SMEs) and 5 universities. This balance suggests that the research is being developed with a direct line to market application, supported by a diverse geographic footprint across 8 countries.
Contact the RWTH Aachen University project lead for technical specifications on soil filters.
Contact us to connect with the 6 industry partners specializing in urban runoff sensors.
