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[...]Regen, Germany The town Regen in the administrative district of Lower Bavaria, is also known as a climatic health resort and boasts numerous sights, buildings and natural monuments. Regular events include the annual Pichelsteiner Festival. Named after a traditional dish, it has grown to become the largest festival in the Bavarian Forest and a major attraction in the region. This makes it all the more important to have a fully functional 24-hour wastewater treatment plant, such as the Regen STP, in place for every event. Energy-efficient and powerful sludge dewatering The outdated and energy-intensive chamber filter press was replaced with an energy-efficient and powerful sludge dewatering system. The main focus of the new dewatering system was the energy and disposal costs of the sludge to be dewatered. After visiting numerous plants on the market, the Regen wastewater treatment plant opted for the screw press principle. The decision was made due to its low specific power consumption and maintenance costs, as well as the very high degree of dewatering achieved in continuous operation. The low speed and specific connected load also appeared to be important factors and were included in the decision-making process as they are sustainable and highly efficient. Tender In 2023, two sludge dewatering plants featuring a fully automatic container filling system were put out to tender. The tender also specified the entire pump technology, polymer preparation, switchgear, control system, and all other components required for fully automatic dewatering operation. Contract awarded to HUBER SE The decisive advantages – high discharge dry solids content, complete stainless steel construction (rather than a cheap mixed construction), minimal operating costs and trouble-free, unattended 24-hour operation – tipped the scales in favour of HUBER SE being awarded the contract. The following components were implemented by HUBER following the order placed at the end of 2023: 2 HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS® 440.2 Pump technology with flocculant preparation and piping Automatic conveyor technology with sludge distribution, including full fill control and level monitoring Electrical control system Delivery, installation, commissioning, process training Implementation Following the construction kick-off meeting, an intensive planning phase was followed by the implementation of an optimal process solution and its integration into the existing structure in mid-2024, in line with the ideas of the operator and the engineering firm. The guaranteed values have been far exceeded Since commissioning in August 2024, the resulting digested sludge with 3–3.5% dry matter and 51–54% loss on ignition has been dewatered to over 32–35% dry matter. The guaranteed values specified in the offer have been far exceeded in practice, much to the delight of the operators. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the town of Regen, the entire operating staff, and the responsible planning office, EBB Ingenieurgesellschaft, for placing their trust in us, and we wish them continued success with the installed systems.[...]

[...]Bickenbach, Germany After around three years of construction, the quaternary treatment stage at the Bickenbach wastewater treatment plant was officially commissioned on 2 April in the presence of numerous representatives from business and politics. The quaternary treatment stage in Bickenbach treats up to 150 litres of wastewater per second and will in future reliably retain the largest proportion of hazardous and persistent micropollutants such as pharmaceutical residues, hormones, biocides and household chemicals. Minister Hofmann: ‘Today is a good day for Bickenbach, for the whole region, for the whole of Hesse!’ ‘With the commissioning of the quaternary treatment stage today, we have created something groundbreaking to further improve drinking water quality in the Hessian Ried,’ said Hessian Minister of Labour Heike Hofmann in her laudatory speech. Thanks to its existing state-of-the-art systems and the additional quaternary treatment stage, the Bickenbach wastewater treatment plant is now the most modern and efficient wastewater treatment plant in Hesse. Quaternary treatment stage processes up to 150 litres of wastewater per second The additional quaternary treatment stage processes up to 150 litres of wastewater per second and consists of a cloth filtration stage, an ozonation stage and a downstream four-stage activated carbon system. 16 HUBER Activated Carbon Filter CONTIFLOW® GAK units ensure the adsorption of trace substances that are difficult to oxidise and take over the biological degradation of the transformation products from the ozonation stage. Before entering the quaternary treatment stage, a two-line cloth filtration system consisting of two HUBER Pile Cloth Media Filter RotaFilt® 2700 units ensures reliable removal of contaminants and impurities. If required, this stage can also be used as flocculation filtration for phosphorus removal. The proven HUBER Pressure-Tight Door TT7 and the HUBER Manhole Cover SD5, which are also an integral part of the ozone reactor in Bickenbach, are almost standard equipment for ozonation stages. Mayor Hennemann: ‘Decisive contribution to environmental protection’ The cloth filtration system began operating in Bickenbach back in November 2024, followed by the activated carbon stage in mid-February and finally ozonation at the end of March. ‘The first samples have already been sent to the laboratory for assessment,’ proudly reports Jörg Stanzel, Managing Director of the wastewater association for 22 years. The aim of the new purification stage is to discharge the water from the sewage treatment plant as clean as possible. ‘This should be a major concern for all of us,’ agree Markus Hennemann, Chairman of the Association and Mayor of Bickenbach, and his deputy Birgit Kannegießer, Mayor of Seeheim-Jugenheim. ‘Not only are we making a decisive contribution to environmental protection, we are also doing something important for future generations.’ With its new modern quaternary treatment stage, Bickenbach is contributing significantly to the protection of the Hessian Ried. It is the largest groundwater reservoir in the state of Hesse and provides drinking water for around two million people in the Rhine-Main region.[...]

[...]Munich, Germany As part of Munich's Education Construction Initiative, Germany's largest municipal education construction programme, it was decided in 2020 to build a new daycare centre with three nursery groups in the Freimann/Kleinlappen district. The chosen location was an undeveloped plot of land on Josef-Wirth-Weg. A special feature of the building site is a sewer that runs slightly elevated in a dam to the north of the property. This sewer is not just a simple collection channel, but one of the main inflows to Munich's Gut Großlappen sewage treatment plant. Sustainability was a guiding principle in planning and construction From the outset, sustainability was a key consideration in the planning of the daycare centre. The centre was designed as a passive house using timber construction. The building was also designed to be 100% renewable. The engineering firm Eder was commissioned to develop and plan an energy concept that met the client's sustainability requirements. Focus on alternative energy sources However, as the location was outside the urban district heating network, alternative energy generation options had to be explored. As well as near-surface geothermal energy, the possibility of utilising the heat from the sewage in the channel flowing directly past was considered. HUBER as a partner for innovative energy use At the end of 2021, HUBER received a request from the engineering firm for a feasibility study of the HUBER ThermWin system for this project. Initial energy designs by HUBER showed that the conditions for wastewater heat recovery were excellent. An on-site meeting with HUBER, the engineering firm and Munich's municipal drainage authorities also showed that the location of the sewer and its height in relation to the construction site were favourable for such an application. The city of Munich now pushed ahead with plans to heat the daycare centre with a wastewater heat recovery system, and the engineering firm Eder was awarded the planning contract. Unique installation arrangement of the HUBER machines Throughout the planning phase, HUBER was always available to answer questions and provided plans for the shaft and plant technology free of charge via its in-house plant planning department. In collaboration with the building authority, the architect and the engineering firm, a plan was developed to implement the ThermWin system into the open-group concept of the daycare centre. This resulted in a unique arrangement for installing the plant system. It was planned that the HUBER RoWin wastewater heat exchanger and heat pump would be installed on the first floor, while the shaft for the pumping station screen would be located in an annex beneath the pram parking area. Delivery and commissioning In mid-2023, a tender was issued for the heating system, which also included the HUBER Pumping Stations Screen ROTAMAT® RoK4 300 and the RoWin 4 wastewater heat exchanger. The contract was awarded to a Munich-based heating system manufacturer, which placed its order with HUBER at the end of 2023. In autumn 2024, the HUBER system was delivered to the construction site and installed by the service team.. The heating plant was commissioned in December.[...]

[...]Quarzbichl, Germany Quarzbichl, a material extraction and marketing company, provides municipal waste management services for the districts of Bad Tölz and Wolfratshausen. It also processes compost into high-quality soil on site. The surface wastewater produced is collected in an intermediate storage tank and treated for direct discharge into the Loisach River. The HUBER Dissolved Air Flotation Plant HDF process was chosen because the wastewater is almost exclusively contaminated with particles, the process effectively separates suspended solids from clear water without blockages, and the resulting residues are concentrated accordingly. Pilot project as proof of feasibility Every new process involves uncertainties and unknown effects by its very nature. To familiarise the future operator of the plant with the process and test its practical suitability, a pilot plant was installed. The plant was temporarily installed at the customer's site to demonstrate its effectiveness. This pilot project enables a realistic estimate of future operating costs to be made. Specific cost factors, such as chemicals, are determined, enabling an economic assessment of the plant technology. The plant's reliability under changing wastewater compositions is also thoroughly tested. Independent testing laboratories provide reliable data for the subsequent operation of the plant, and a qualified evaluation is carried out afterwards. Transfer of results to permanent installation Valuable insights counteract surprises: Based on these insights and results, the dimensions of the subsequent large-scale plant can be determined. The challenges encountered during the pilot operation are incorporated into the design of the large-scale plant. In this project, an inline screen was installed as a so-called 'police filter’ as the first stage of treatment in the large-scale system to reliably retain coarse materials. The subsequent chemical stage was designed as a tube flocculator based on the findings of the pilot test. It is important to note that drinking water-certified products must be used for chemical conditioning. This ensures that the flotate sludge produced later can be fed into natural composting within the company. Wastewater treatment for the Isar tributary In the flotation cell, solids are transported to the water surface by extremely fine gas bubbles. The remaining water is completely free of particles and can therefore be discharged directly into the receiving watercourse, the Loisach, a tributary of the Isar. Appropriate measurement technology is installed to monitor the water quality in the effluent and ensure that it remains consistently high.[...]

[...]Wittenberge, Germany The Wittenberge municipal utilities have set itself the goal of making the heat supply for the city in north-western Brandenburg and its surrounding districts largely climate-neutral by 2045. As part of municipal heating planning, various options for expanding and decarbonising the heating network are being investigated. River water as a source of energy A first step in this direction was completed at the end of last year with the construction of a new heating plant featuring a heat pump system, an electric boiler and a CHP unit. The heat pumps use water from the Stepenitz river as their energy source. The electrical power for this comes from the CHP unit. However, due to the biological activity in the river water, the heat pump cannot be connected to it directly, as biofouling – the growth of microorganisms, plants, algae and animals on underwater structures – would impair the heat pump's performance and result in high maintenance costs. HUBER Heat Exchanger RoWin14 The newly installed HUBER Heat Exchanger RoWin14 plays a crucial role in this process. By interconnecting the HUBER system, the energy from the river is first transferred to a clean medium, the heating water, enabling the heat pump to operate properly. The process To extract heat from the river, approximately 200 m³/h of water is diverted from the river through an outlet structure. This water is pre-cleaned using a drum screen before being pumped to the combined heat and power plant 270 metres away. Fully automatic cleaning system There, the HUBER Heat Exchanger RoWin14 transfers the heat to an intermediate circuit. Biofouling that forms on the wastewater heat exchanger surface is reliably and fully automatically removed by the patented cleaning system. This ensures that the designed output can be achieved. The Carrier heat pump can use the river heat transferred to the heating circuit water as source energy, thus providing a heating capacity of approximately 1,100 kW. Up to 780 kW of this comes from the river. The plant has been operating reliably since commissioning in 2024, supplying clean thermal energy to the municipal utilities' great satisfaction. Other municipal utilities have visited the plant and are evaluating the utilisation of river water heat based on the Wittenberge model.[...]

[...]Germany HUBER offers more than just machines; we provide tailor-made solutions for complex challenges. Our pre-sales services support industrial customers throughout the entire process, from initial contact to final implementation, with a particular focus on flotation, sludge dewatering and screening. The focus is on individual adaptations that meet each customer's specific requirements. Early insights through in-depth laboratory analyses In our laboratory and during on-site analyses and tests, we examine processes such as flotation, sludge dewatering and screening to check the feasibility and suitability of solutions at an early stage. These laboratory analyses provide valuable insights that pave the way for a tailor-made solution. Practical tests with pilot plants under real conditions In addition to laboratory testing, we offer customers the opportunity to test machinery and process technology on site under real conditions using our pilot plants. Our experts supervise the entire process, working closely with water treatment chemical manufacturers to achieve optimal results. This gives customers the opportunity to experience the technology first-hand and verify its practical suitability. Planning reliability through well-thought-out process concepts We support our customers with more than just installation drawings and plans; we also support them in planning the entire process by developing P&ID (Process and Instrumentation Diagram) diagrams that clearly show all relevant interfaces and modes of operation. This allows efficient optimisation of the planning process and precise tailoring of the solution to the requirements. From idea to sustainable solution Our goal is to provide comprehensive solutions, from initial feasibility analyses to final implementation. We collaborate closely with customers and planning offices to ensure the solution is technically and practically suitable and can be sustainably integrated into operational processes. As an experienced partner, HUBER will ensure the solution is implemented efficiently and continues to function effectively in the long term.[...]

[...]Spain Spain and the wider Mediterranean region experience intense rainfall repeatedly within very short time periods. This has increased over the last decade. During such events, when several hundred millimetres of rain fall in a short space of time, the ground can no longer absorb the water. This is particularly the case when the heavy rainfall follows a long period of hot weather with no precipitation. Even the smallest streams can quickly turn into frightening rivers that sweep everything away, causing great damage to people and the environment. Recent events in the greater Valencia area in 2024 have shown how quickly heavy rainfall can turn into a disaster. To avoid such disasters, space must be created for excess rainwater so it does not flow uncontrollably through cities and cause devastation. Spain’s solution: storm water tanks Spain's answer to this is storm water tanks. Rainwater is collected in large channels, some of which are up to six metres wide, and fed into an underground storage facility. This reduces the strain on sewage treatment plants and enables valuable rainwater to be stored temporarily or discharged in a controlled manner. However, this rainwater is heavily polluted, carrying all the coarse materials that accumulate on the streets and in the sewers during periods of heavy rainfall. HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® in use The HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® can be used here to effectively remove screenings from the rainwater – fully automatically. This protects the environment and significantly reduces operating costs, as manual cleaning is no longer necessary. In the Madrid region, great efforts are being made to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Canal de Isabel II, a state agency responsible for managing all phases of the integral water cycle in the greater Madrid area, currently supplies and connects more than 6.6 million people. The existing sewer network is approximately 16,000 km long and comprises 155 wastewater treatment plants with a total capacity of 3.2 million m 3 per day. Spain currently has a total of 470 rainwater retention tanks. Of these, 70 are located in the greater Madrid area and are the responsibility of Canal de Isabel II. Storm water tanks Butarque and Arroyofresno With the Butarque and Arroyofresno (Pinos) rainwater retention tanks, each with a capacity of up to 400,000 m³ (the largest capacity in the EU), the Spanish HUBER subsidiary HUBER Technology España, S.L.U. has already implemented significant projects with the Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® for screening storm water. In both plants, the HUBER RakeMax® screens reliably ensure that rainwater is freed of floating matter and waste, allowing the water to be pumped into the sewage treatment plants for further treatment without overloading them. Storm water tank Abronigales With the Abronigales project, HUBER Technology España, S.L.U. was able to secure another contract for the treatment of rainwater in storm water tanks. The Abronigales storm water tank has a capacity of around 200,000 m³, which is significantly smaller than Butarque and Arroyofresno. However, the incoming volume flow of 100 m³/s is the largest to date. The request from the Canal de Isabel II authority reached HUBER Technology España, S.L.U. at the end of 2023 and the project was completed within just six months. Previous heavy rainfall events had demonstrated that manually cleaning the Abronigales underground rainwater retention basin was costly. Therefore, a quick and effective solution had to be implemented within a very short time As there were no channels in this underground building to date, we were free to design the channels, and Canal de Isabel II built them based on our proposals and hydraulic calculations. 20 of HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® The decision was made to use 20 HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® 5760x1775/40 75°, which then discharge the screenings into a conveyor belt provided by the customer. Thanks to excellent cooperation between HUBER Technology España, S.L.U., Canal de Isabel II, and HUBER SE's internal departments, the order was placed in April 2024 and production could begin. As planned, the 20 HUBER RakeMax® screens were delivered in four stages by the end of September 2024. The aim was to install and commission all 20 machines before the rainy season in autumn 2024. Unfortunately, the weather was uncooperative, resulting in a delay of installation of a few weeks. Commissioning was successfully completed in December 2024. The first rainfall events have already shown that the HUBER RakeMax® screens can be relied upon: a reliable partner for screening rainwater – state of the art. Further projects in the pipeline And the success story continues: At the end of 2025, another storm water tank in Madrid (La China with a capacity of 130,000 m³) is to be equipped with HUBER RakeMax® screens. In addition, we are already in discussions with Canal de Isabel II regarding the emergency relief of the Abronigales storm water tank, equipped with HUBER Storm Screen ROTAMAT® RoK2 systems. Our RakeMax® screen is a success story, and we look forward to many more future storm water projects we will complete together![...]

[...]Weißenberge, Germany Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource, even in Germany. As climate change progresses, conflicts over water resources will continue to escalate, particularly in water-intensive agriculture. As part of the ‘HypoWave+’ project, a resource-efficient hydroponic system for water reuse in regional vegetable production was installed and scientifically monitored for the first time in Germany in 2024. Wastewater as a valuable resource for irrigation ’The special feature of the HypoWave system is that we obtain high-quality treated irrigation water from municipal wastewater, which completely replaces the need for fresh water. Compared to conventional agricultural irrigation, water resources can thus be used much more efficiently,’ says Prof. Dr. Thomas Dockhorn, project manager at the Technical University of Braunschweig. Multi-stage water treatment for the real-world laboratory in Weißenberge Since May 2024, the multi-stage water treatment system has been fed with effluent from the Weißenberge pond treatment plant. It consists of a HUBER Pile Cloth Media Filter RotaFilt® for retaining planktonic components and microplastics, a HUBER activated carbon biofilter for further trace substance elimination, and a HUBER Sandfilter CONTIFLOW® for retaining the last suspended solids from the biofilter. A UV system from XYLEM (LBX 20) ensures reliable disinfection of the irrigation water before it enters the greenhouse. The entire treatment chain is designed for a throughput of up to 10 m 3 /h. ‘The excess water is highly purified when it flows back into the clarification ponds,’ explains Thomas Dockhorn. Nitrogen (N total ) in particular is depleted by the plants to up to 5 mg/l, which is well below the required monitoring values for sewage treatment plants. Win-win for agriculture and water management This makes cultivation with HypoWave water interesting for municipal operators of wastewater treatment plants who make their clarification ponds available for water reuse. ‘Cultivation in a greenhouse with purified wastewater in the vicinity of our ponds is completely new to us, but is already proving to be a win-win situation for agriculture and municipal water companies,’ says Christian Lampe, managing director of the Gifhorn Water Association. Research benefits from the real-world laboratory character ‘The commissioning of the largest real-world laboratory of its kind to date and the cooperation with the municipal water association in Gifhorn is an extraordinary opportunity for research,’ says project coordinator Dr. Martina Winker from ISOE, Institute for Social-Ecological Research. Validation and quality management A central component of the research activities in 2024 was the validation of the water treatment process. To this end, all relevant approval processes relating to water reuse and the certification of the products produced were successfully completed as part of an integrated quality management system. Safe water quality through regular laboratory analyses To ensure compliance with the requirements set out in the EU regulation on water reuse, water samples were taken twice a week at the transfer point from the water treatment plant to the water storage facility and analysed immediately in the accredited laboratories of Eurofins and the Braunschweig Wastewater Association. Excellent results confirm system efficiency Regular laboratory analyses impressively demonstrate that the required quality class B can be reliably guaranteed at all times. In terms of the parameters BOD 5 , filterable solids, turbidity and E. coli , all samples even fully comply with the requirements for the monitoring parameters of quality class A. The results thus clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the technologies used to remove trace substances and microbiological contaminants and confirm the stability of the process over the entire test period. HUBER would like to express its special thanks to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for providing financial support for this promising research project. A big thank you also goes to all project partners, especially the Institute for Urban Water Management at the Technical University of Braunschweig and the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE) in Frankfurt for their excellent and constructive cooperation.[...]

[...]Øystese, Norway I began my dual Bachelor's degree in Biological and Environmental Process Engineering at HUBER and the East Bavarian University of Applied Sciences in Amberg-Weiden in September 2021. The degree programme focuses primarily on natural sciences and engineering subjects such as fluid mechanics, mechanical and thermal process engineering, and water and wastewater treatment. In addition to theory, several practical projects must also be completed during the study-free periods. Practical experience at the HUBER Technology Centre I had the advantage of being able to gain practical experience at the HUBER Technology Centre as a dual student. I supported the product managers with various projects, familiarised myself with the machines through a series of tests with different demonstration plants, and gained new insights. The 3.5-year degree programme concludes with a bachelor's thesis. The project for this thesis took me to Norway, more specifically to Øystese. A picturesque destination and a technical challenge Øystese is a small town with around 2,000 inhabitants in south-western Norway. It is located directly on the Hardangerfjord, Norway's second-longest fjord, which is surrounded by large green spaces, mountains and glaciers. Norway's new wastewater directive requires action As Norway wants to protect its environment even better, a new wastewater directive has been drawn up that affects the sewage treatment plant I visited. Previous plant operation without biological treatment stage Previously, wastewater from the treatment plant, which is designed for a population equivalent (PE) of 10,000, first passed through the mechanical treatment stage, a HUBER Micro Strainer ROTAMAT® Ro9 500, then a HUBER Circular Grit Trap HRSF 2 and finally a flotation unit. As is common for many wastewater treatment plants in Norway, no biological treatment stage has been used to date. New requirements necessitate retrofitting The new Wastewater Directive will tighten the limits for wastewater discharge in the future, and the current effluent values of the wastewater treatment plant show that compliance with these values is not possible with the technology currently installed on site. According to a market analysis by our colleagues at HUBER Technology Nordic, several hundred wastewater treatment plants in Norway will have to retrofit their machinery and plants in order to comply with the new regulations. Visit to the Øystese wastewater treatment plant As part of a project, I travelled to Norway in March 2024. I visited the Øystese wastewater treatment plant for the first time and presented the HUBER product portfolio to the local staff. We then agreed that a series of tests with the HUBER Pile Cloth Media Filter RotaFilt® should be carried out on site to find out whether the RotaFilt® is a suitable technology for complying with future limit values. Test series with the HUBER Pile Cloth Media Filter RotaFilt® on site At the end of August, the time had come. I boarded the plane to Norway and made my way to Øystese. Meanwhile, a RotaFilt® demonstration machine was also on its way north. After our Norwegian colleagues and I had assembled the machine and prepared it for the test series, I began varying the amount of coagulant and flocculant in the laboratory to produce flocs and transferred the best result to the demonstration plant. Very good results The pile fabric used on the cloth filter was able to reliably retain the flocs. In the on-site laboratory, I sampled the inflows and outflows of the wastewater treatment plant. The evaluation of the results shows that the HUBER Pile Cloth Media Filter RotaFilt® can comply with the future limit values for COD, BOD and phosphate. Very good separation performance was also achieved for filterable solids and turbidity across a wide throughput range. Foundation for future solutions in Norway The series of tests were the basis for adapting the plant, and our colleagues at HUBER Technology Nordic received training in the new machine technology. This demonstrates to the Norwegian market that our products can make many wastewater treatment plants in Norway fit for the future again. Experiencing nature in my free time In addition to the test series, I had the opportunity to hike to the famous Trolltunga rock formation at the weekend. I enjoyed beautiful views of mountains, glaciers, waterfalls and fjords.[...]

[...]Rednitzhembach, Germany HUBER was awarded the contract in early 2024 to supply and install a HUBER Rotary Drum Fine Screen ROTAMAT® Ro2 with a downstream HUBER Wash Press WAP® for renewing the STW’s screening system. These have now been in operation since the end of August 2024. Technical challenge and solution in the screen channel A particular challenge in this project was that the screen channel had to be widened from 600 mm to 1000 mm in the area of the screen basket. In order to minimise conversion time, which included demolishing the old channel and continuing to operate the sewage treatment plant with a rental screen system, a prefabricated stainless steel channel was delivered in advance and installed in the area of the screen basket. The entire project, from dismantling and conversion to commissioning, was thus completed in less than two working weeks. Initial operating experience with the new plant technology Operations managers Mr Strauß and Mr Rühl report on their experience with operating this new technology in comparison to the previously installed screening system (double bar screen with downstream screenings press): What were the main reasons for replacing the old screening system? Ultimately, there were two main reasons that led to the complete replacement of the installed system. The first reason certainly lies in the technical process of the plant. Firstly, the old screening system was unable to deliver the required throughput during mixed water peaks, resulting in the emergency bypass being activated. Secondly, the bar spacing was too large for the composition of our wastewater, so that the contamination in the other areas of the sewage treatment plant, such as floating scum on the aeration and secondary clarification tanks and screenings volume at the coarse screen in the return sludge lifting station, was much too high. Of all areas, this was most intense in the manually cleaned coarse screen (e=20 mm). Sometimes, this had to be cleaned by hand twice a day. Despite the relatively coarse bar spacing, the screenings accumulation here was almost as high as with the old 6 mm inlet screen! Another reason is the ageing equipment and the associated problems with repairing and procuring the necessary spare and wear parts. The newly installed HUBER fine screen with downstream screenings wash press has been in operation since the beginning of August 2024. What has changed fundamentally since then, in your opinion? Everything, really. There are no floating scum layers visible in the aeration and secondary settling tank or in the return sludge area. The screen separation efficiency has increased enormously. Under the same boundary conditions, approximately two to three times as much washed and dewatered screenings are now produced. The time required for manual cleaning of the coarse screen in the return sludge lifting station has been significantly reduced, from previously about twice a day with a high volume of screenings, to now once a week with a very, very low volume of screenings. A small bucket is sufficient for this. How satisfied were you with the advice received on improving the operating situation and project planning for the plant, and the work carried out? It was delivered exactly as promised – exactly as one would ideally imagine. We would like to thank everyone involved in the project, especially the Rednitzhembach sewage treatment plant employees, the plant manager Mr Strauß, and Mr Rühl, for placing their trust in us and for their excellent cooperation.[...]