Tag page

Sewage

Projects

Enabling technologies
Future-proof networks
Monitoring, modelling and reducing nitrous oxide emissions from WWTPs

Towards mitigation strategies for WWTPs through intensive monitoring and modelling of N2O emissions Industry and society are striving to reduce the carbon footprint in response to tackling climate…

Read more about Monitoring, modelling and reducing nitrous oxide emissions from WWTPs
Health
Emerging contaminants
Sewage surveillance of drug use

Drug use is a recognised societal problem. It is damaging to public health and has negative (undermining) consequences for public security and the environment. An effective drug policy needs to be founded on reliable drug-use and -dealing…

Read more about Sewage surveillance of drug use
Enabling technologies
New materials and technologies
SARS-CoV-2 (RNA) in municipal wastewater: hazards and opportunities

This project couples the monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in the underground (sewage water) with above-ground testing, with the aim of evaluating the sensitivity, the predictive value for the incidence…

Read more about SARS-CoV-2 (RNA) in municipal wastewater: hazards and opportunities
Health
Emerging contaminants
KWR wastewater surveillance guidance for SARS-CoV-2

As Covid-19 infections are increasing again after the initial lockdowns, it is now critical to set up a surveillance and monitoring system for COVID-19. KWR can assist you…

Read more about KWR wastewater surveillance guidance for SARS-CoV-2
Enabling technologies
Innovative water treatment technologies
Organic kitchen waste via the sewer

Within the framework of the circular economy, it is important for municipalities to make the best possible use of kitchen waste (fruit and vegetable waste, or ‘FVW’) through high-value, sustainable processing. In…

Read more about Organic kitchen waste via the sewer
Enabling technologies
Innovative water treatment technologies
TKI sewage fat solution

Deposits of fats, oils and grease (often referred to as FOG) clump together and settle in pumping stations for example. If this causes blockages or the failure of system components, it can entail high (societal) costs. Besides…

Read more about TKI sewage fat solution
Enabling technologies
New materials and technologies
Smart sewers

Waterboards, as the managers of wastewater treatment processes, are increasingly confronted with waste discharges of hazardous substances and chemicals into sewage water. Since the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have not been designed to remove such (volumes) of…

Read more about Smart sewers
Health
Safe innovation and the water sector
Antibiotic resistance in surface water and water treatment

Over the past few decades the use of antibiotics by humans and for veterinary purposes has grown sharply. Doctors in the Netherlands exercise restraint in prescribing antibiotics, but…

Read more about Antibiotic resistance in surface water and water treatment
Sustainability
Sustainable resources
SCREENCAP

The essence of the innovative concept of Screencap is the recovery of solids from raw wastewater on the basis of particle size rather than density. The partners, Aa and Maas Water Board, CirTec and KWR Water Research…

Read more about SCREENCAP
Sustainability
Sustainable resources
Effluent reuse – MDR in the water cycle

In the ‘Effluent reuse – MDR in de waterketen’ (Effluent reuse – MDR in the water cycle) study the potential contribution of Modular Sustainable WWTP (MDR) to the optimisation of the water…

Read more about Effluent reuse – MDR in the water cycle

All projects ()

Experts

Julian Muñoz Sierra PhD EngD
Scientific researcher Project manager
view profile
Julian Muñoz Sierra PhD EngD

Scientific researcher Project manager

Julian Muñoz Sierra is a scientific researcher on the Water Treatment and Resource Recovery team. He studied chemical engineering at the National University of Colombia. He worked as a process…

030-6069672

julian.munoz@kwrwater.nl

06-52891321

view profile

News

News

15 years’ research into drugs in sewage water

20 March 2024 — Over the 2010-2023 period, KWR researched drug use in the cities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Leeuwarden and the Eindhoven…

Read more about 15 years’ research into drugs in sewage water
News

KWR publication on monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in sewage garners much interest

16 May 2023 — No fewer than three KWR researchers will receive the Willem Koerselman Prize this year: Gertjan Medema, Frederic Béen…

Read more about KWR publication on monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in sewage garners much interest
Blog

Can we solve the drinking water challenges in the sewer?

12 May 2023 — For many reasons, it is wise to save on drinking water use. Thoroughly reviewing the how and why…

Read more about Can we solve the drinking water challenges in the sewer?
News

IWA 2022 keynote: pandemic signals of wastewater

15 September 2022 — On the final day of the World Water Congress & Exhibition in Copenhagen, prof. dr. Gertjan Medema (KWR)…

Read more about IWA 2022 keynote: pandemic signals of wastewater
News

Prolongation of KWR designation as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Water Quality & Health

11 April 2022 — The WHO has again designated KWR as a Collaborating Centre on Water Quality and Health.

Read more about Prolongation of KWR designation as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Water Quality & Health
News

Marion Koopmans receives KWR Honorary Fellowship

09 November 2021 — Marion Koopmans, Professor of Virology, receives the KWR Honorary Fellowship 2020. She has been granted the honorific title…

Read more about Marion Koopmans receives KWR Honorary Fellowship
News

COVID-19 Sewage Surveillance must-reads

28 October 2021 — Since early February 2020 KWR-researchers have been monitoring sewage water at various wastewater treatment plants in The Netherlands…

Read more about COVID-19 Sewage Surveillance must-reads
News

Designer drugs dodge the law

30 September 2021 — Every year tens of new substances appear on the market in Europe; substances that actually have stimulating, psychotropic…

Read more about Designer drugs dodge the law
News

It can be done: processing organic kitchen waste from multi-storey buildings sustainably using the sewer system

04 June 2021 — Municipal authorities want to process kitchen waste in sustainable, high-grade, ways in order to contribute to the circular…

Read more about It can be done: processing organic kitchen waste from multi-storey buildings sustainably using the sewer system
News

Sewage surveillance as an early warning system for SARS-CoV-2 detection

11 May 2021 — In recent research, we looked at how local sewage surveillance can provide information about the prevalence of the…

Read more about Sewage surveillance as an early warning system for SARS-CoV-2 detection
News

Droplet Digital RT-PCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in wastewater

04 May 2021 — Wastewater monitoring has developed into a valuable and efficient tool to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 in the…

Read more about Droplet Digital RT-PCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in wastewater
News

Covid and the UK variant: the sewage tells the truth

13 April 2021 — Presence of Covid in the population Since the outbreak of the pandemic, already more than one year ago,…

Read more about Covid and the UK variant: the sewage tells the truth
News

Successful fat elimination with no adverse effects on wastewater treatment

11 March 2021 — Households, businesses and horeca in the Netherlands are still flushing too much fat into the sewer system. Even…

Read more about Successful fat elimination with no adverse effects on wastewater treatment
News

The Wastewater4COVID project aims to develop a method for early detection of the coronavirus

12 February 2021 — Early in the pandemic, Gertjan Medema demonstrated that genetic traces of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage correlate with COVID-19 disease…

Read more about The Wastewater4COVID project aims to develop a method for early detection of the coronavirus
News

Sewage monitoring shows how covid-19 is evolving in the population

27 January 2021 — Our trend analysis of SARS- CoV-2 in sewage links the underground data with the above-ground data (new COVID-19…

Read more about Sewage monitoring shows how covid-19 is evolving in the population
News

Scoping monitoring of coronavirus in wastewater in Peru

12 January 2021 — The current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is a major concern for human health. The spread of this virus needs…

Read more about Scoping monitoring of coronavirus in wastewater in Peru
News

Pilot project to monitor the circulation of COVID-19 in sewage water collected in the city of Nairobi

06 January 2021 — KWR joined forces with the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) – Directorate of Health Services, International Livestock Research Institute…

Read more about Pilot project to monitor the circulation of COVID-19 in sewage water collected in the city of Nairobi
Article

Wastewater surveillance into overdrive

31 December 2020 — The outbreak of the coronavirus in 2020 shifted KWR’s wastewater surveillance onto the fast track. Wastewater surveillance was…

Read more about Wastewater surveillance into overdrive
News

Water research opportunities in COVID year 2020

18 December 2020 — The global COVID pandemic posed enormous challenges for all sectors of society in 2020. The national and international…

Read more about Water research opportunities in COVID year 2020
News

SETAC honours Pim de Voogt with Emeritus Membership

04 December 2020 — The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) has accorded Pim de Voogt its Emeritus Membership award. This…

Read more about SETAC honours Pim de Voogt with Emeritus Membership
News

Concentration of SARS CoV-2 in sewage shows a descending trend

16 November 2020 — Since February 2020, we have measured the SARS -CoV-2 RNA in sewage water. By correcting the results for…

Read more about Concentration of SARS CoV-2 in sewage shows a descending trend
News

Covid in wastewater: second wave as high as the first

06 November 2020 — As early as February, KWR demonstrated the connection between the number of SARS-CoV-2 viral particles in the sewage…

Read more about Covid in wastewater: second wave as high as the first
News

New SARS-CoV-2 graphs for wastewater samples of September

02 October 2020 — The KWR microbiologists have extensively evaluated and improved their research methods for the surveillance of the coronavirus genetic…

Read more about New SARS-CoV-2 graphs for wastewater samples of September
News

EUSEME: Drugs in sewage during Dutch lockdown

17 June 2020 — In the week after the announcement of the ‘intelligent’ lockdown in the Netherlands, KWR tested levels of illegal…

Read more about EUSEME: Drugs in sewage during Dutch lockdown
News

EU-wide Wastewater Warning System for SARS-CoV-2

08 June 2020 — The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the Directorate-General for Environment, in close collaboration with leading experts from…

Read more about EU-wide Wastewater Warning System for SARS-CoV-2
News

How to set up sewage surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 virus

04 June 2020 — KWR can assist you with analysis, validation, quality control, sampling programmes and monitoring systems. Now that several countries…

Read more about How to set up sewage surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 virus
News

Sewage monitoring as an early warning system for corona

29 May 2020 — The emerging questions of the past weeks are: How does the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage water…

Read more about Sewage monitoring as an early warning system for corona
News

Coronavirus in sewage falls faster than recorded patient numbers

24 May 2020 — Since early February, KWR’s microbiologists have been studying levels of SARS-Coronavirus-2 RNA in sewage in collaboration with the…

Read more about Coronavirus in sewage falls faster than recorded patient numbers
News

First methamphetamine waste discharge measured in Eindhoven

12 March 2020 — The consumption of cocaine and MDMA (XTC) in the Netherlands has been the highest in Europe for a…

Read more about First methamphetamine waste discharge measured in Eindhoven
Column

Innovate building installations, but also assess the impact on the whole system

31 October 2019 — Building installations – drinking water installations and building sewer systems – need to be innovated, because water, energy…

Read more about Innovate building installations, but also assess the impact on the whole system
News

Wastewater analysis reveals trends in international drug use

23 October 2019 — The results of seven years’ wastewater analysis have been compiled in an article published in the prestigious journal…

Read more about Wastewater analysis reveals trends in international drug use
News

Prof. Pim de Voogt: 25 years in Environmental Chemistry

03 November 2018 — Prof. Pim de Voogt, is – after a fruitful career of more than 25 years – retiring from…

Read more about Prof. Pim de Voogt: 25 years in Environmental Chemistry
News

Methamphetamine in Ermelo sewage remarkable for the Netherlands

29 May 2018 — Commissioned by the municipal council of the town of Ermelo, KWR researched the presence of narcotics in the…

Read more about Methamphetamine in Ermelo sewage remarkable for the Netherlands
Column

Wastewater epidemiology has grown up

24 May 2018 — In ten years wastewater epidemiology has developed into a mature field of knowledge which provides objective data on…

Read more about Wastewater epidemiology has grown up
News

Netherlands number 1 user of XTC in Europe

07 March 2018 — The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) today (11:00 CET) published the results of the…

Read more about Netherlands number 1 user of XTC in Europe
News

Sewer water analysis shows: amateur athletes use of ‘fat burner’ DNP

24 January 2018 — In the study entitled ‘Wastewater-based tracing of doping use by the general population and amateur athletes’, KWR researchers…

Read more about Sewer water analysis shows: amateur athletes use of ‘fat burner’ DNP
News

WWTP capacity increases by 10% with finescreen technology

21 November 2017 — The Aa and Maas Water Board, CirTec and KWR consortium has completed the Screencap research project at the…

Read more about WWTP capacity increases by 10% with finescreen technology
News

Sulphate-reducing bacteria also work in WWTP

17 October 2017 — KWR, Paques and Delfluent Services BV have conducted a pilot test with sulphate-reducing bacteria under winter conditions at…

Read more about Sulphate-reducing bacteria also work in WWTP
Water Sector

Second Willem Koerselman Award for Emke and De Voogt

11 April 2017 — Erik Emke and Pim de Voogt have won the 2016 Willem Koerselman Award for the article, ‘Spatial differences…

Read more about Second Willem Koerselman Award for Emke and De Voogt
News

Forensic hydrology: Detecting traces in groundwater

22 March 2017 — Water contains a large number of dissolved substances. These include all non-synthetic elements and many synthetic organic micropollutants,…

Read more about Forensic hydrology: Detecting traces in groundwater
Water Sector

Dutch cities once again in the top 5 for drugs use

31 May 2016 — In 2015, for the fifth year in a row, a European study into drugs in sewer water was…

Read more about Dutch cities once again in the top 5 for drugs use
Water Sector

Effective removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewater

03 May 2016 — Wastewater contains more and more pharmaceuticals that are difficult to remove in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This issue…

Read more about Effective removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewater
News

2015 Willem Koerselman Award to Cornelissen and Roest

12 April 2016 — Emile Cornelissen and Kees Roest won the 2015 Willem Koerselman Award for their article ‘Forward osmosis for application in…

Read more about 2015 Willem Koerselman Award to Cornelissen and Roest
Water Sector

New Power-to-Protein website: all about producing protein from wastewater

02 February 2016 — The Power-to-Protein concept is attracting a great deal of attention. The process involves the highly efficient production of…

Read more about New Power-to-Protein website: all about producing protein from wastewater
Article

New results European sewer water analysis

02 June 2015 — In June 2015, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction – the EMCDDA in Lisbon –…

Read more about New results European sewer water analysis

All news items ()

Subjects

Health

Emerging contaminants

Emerging contaminants are a possible threat to the public health and environment. KWR develops smarter,…

Read more about Emerging contaminants

Sewage

Monitoring, modelling and reducing nitrous oxide emissions from WWTPs

Sewage surveillance of drug use

SARS-CoV-2 (RNA) in municipal wastewater: hazards and opportunities

KWR wastewater surveillance guidance for SARS-CoV-2

Organic kitchen waste via the sewer

TKI sewage fat solution

Smart sewers

Antibiotic resistance in surface water and water treatment

SCREENCAP

Effluent reuse – MDR in the water cycle

15 years’ research into drugs in sewage water

KWR publication on monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in sewage garners much interest

Can we solve the drinking water challenges in the sewer?

IWA 2022 keynote: pandemic signals of wastewater

Prolongation of KWR designation as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Water Quality & Health

Marion Koopmans receives KWR Honorary Fellowship

COVID-19 Sewage Surveillance must-reads

Designer drugs dodge the law

It can be done: processing organic kitchen waste from multi-storey buildings sustainably using the sewer system

Sewage surveillance as an early warning system for SARS-CoV-2 detection

Droplet Digital RT-PCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in wastewater

Covid and the UK variant: the sewage tells the truth

Successful fat elimination with no adverse effects on wastewater treatment

The Wastewater4COVID project aims to develop a method for early detection of the coronavirus

Sewage monitoring shows how covid-19 is evolving in the population

Scoping monitoring of coronavirus in wastewater in Peru

Pilot project to monitor the circulation of COVID-19 in sewage water collected in the city of Nairobi

Wastewater surveillance into overdrive

Water research opportunities in COVID year 2020

SETAC honours Pim de Voogt with Emeritus Membership

Concentration of SARS CoV-2 in sewage shows a descending trend

Covid in wastewater: second wave as high as the first

New SARS-CoV-2 graphs for wastewater samples of September

EUSEME: Drugs in sewage during Dutch lockdown

EU-wide Wastewater Warning System for SARS-CoV-2

How to set up sewage surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 virus

Sewage monitoring as an early warning system for corona

Coronavirus in sewage falls faster than recorded patient numbers

First methamphetamine waste discharge measured in Eindhoven

Innovate building installations, but also assess the impact on the whole system

Wastewater analysis reveals trends in international drug use

Prof. Pim de Voogt: 25 years in Environmental Chemistry

Methamphetamine in Ermelo sewage remarkable for the Netherlands

Wastewater epidemiology has grown up

Netherlands number 1 user of XTC in Europe

Sewer water analysis shows: amateur athletes use of ‘fat burner’ DNP

WWTP capacity increases by 10% with finescreen technology

Sulphate-reducing bacteria also work in WWTP

Second Willem Koerselman Award for Emke and De Voogt

Forensic hydrology: Detecting traces in groundwater

Dutch cities once again in the top 5 for drugs use

Effective removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewater

2015 Willem Koerselman Award to Cornelissen and Roest

New Power-to-Protein website: all about producing protein from wastewater

New results European sewer water analysis

Emerging contaminants