Research

The overall objective of the project is to improve the environmental and health impact of Red Cross emergency operations in urban areas, displacement sites or protected camps through improved environmental sanitation emergency solutions that meet global quality standards. A previous project together with Red Cross verified and recalculated an existing emergency faecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP unit) as basis for this pilot plant using proven technologies.

The study will summarize recent survey results among Austrian water suppliers, with a focus on the 2022 groundwater levels and the resulting impacts on supply reliability, and relate them to the results of previous studies. Issues and scope of the planned work: From the perspective of Austrian water suppliers, what was the supply situation in 2022 with respect to the low groundwater levels that occurred in 2022? Were there any incidents in 2022 that made it necessary to restrict the supply (e.g. due to new low groundwater levels, weather conditions, infrastructure damage, outages, etc.)? What reserves with respect to peak demand are still available, or at what resource declines (groundwater levels or spring discharges) would supply restrictions be expected? Were there any changes in 2022 compared to previous years that had an impact on the reliability of supply (e.g. resource situation, consumer behavior, infrastructure, energy, personnel, etc.) and what are seen as the greatest challenges for the future? Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

The field tests on the runway and apron are intended to provide clarity on the treatment performance that can be achieved for the surface water generated under real conditions during ground passage. Research and development of a near-natural solution for the retention and treatment of surface water containing deicing agents has yielded positive results to date. Large-scale implementation is being considered. The time until implementation is to be used as best as possible for further findings through further research activities of field tests on the runway and parking areas of the airport.