Naturnahe abwasserreinigung: Interdisziplinare zusammenarbeit von naturwissenschaftler und Ingenieur

Sewage from scattered villages is often treated in septic tanks whose removal efficiency of biodegradable components amounts to about 35%. Viewed from the standpoint of water protection such a performance provides an insufficient prevention of water pollution. It is worth aspiring to more extensive sewage treatment, i.e. oxidation of organic matter and nitrogen compounds. This particularly applies to rural regions if scattered villages are situated in ecologically sensitive regions such as watersheds of small brooks. Here, it is resonable to emply natural methods of treating sewage such as constructed wetlands and lagoons up to a size of 1,000 population equivalents. Constructed wetlands and lagoons provide an excellent field of cooperation between biologist and engineer, because the complexity of the microbial communities and the influence of the physico-chemical and geological conditions upon the microorganisms are not yet well understood. Further interdisciplinary research work has to be done for instance in regard to the relationship between helophytes and bacteria in the biofilm on the rhizomes of the reed or focussing upon effluent polishing of lagoons.