Profile

PIA - Development and Assessment Institute in Waste Water Technology at RWTH Aachen University

 

In early 1999, the Development and Assessment Institute in Waste Water Technology at RWTH Aachen University (PIA) was founded as a non-profit organisation. Since October of the same year, PIA has been accredited as an affiliated institute of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at RWTH Aachen University.
The goal of the organisation is to promote research and training in the fields of wastewater technology and environmental protection. The Ministry of Environment and Conservation, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia significantly sponsored the setup of infrastructure at PIA. Through employment of the premises of former municipal wastewater treatment plant "Bildchen", the city of Aachen was able to lay the foundations for research and development, assessment and experiments concerning wastewater.
PIA is a founding member of the Training and Demonstration Centre for Decentralised Sewage Treatment (BDZ), Leipzig, a founding member of DE-brane, a conference which takes place every two years and acwa. PIA is a partner of Maritime Cluster Northern Germany and WASSER UND TECHNIK, a technological environment network.

PIA works closely with all other university faculties in the areas of training and research. This cooperation enables joint execution of national and international research projects. In the range of teachings, PIA offers to students of RWTH Aachen and Aachen University of Applied Sciences (FH Aachen), the possibility of conducting student research projects or bachelor, master and diploma theses in the filed of waste water disposal.

Activities in the fields of decentralised wastewater disposal and wastewater treatment on ships:

  • Research and development concerning the treatment of wastewater on shipboards
  • Research and development concerning decentralised treatment of wastewater
  • European research co-operation
  • Consulting, education and information
  • Organisation of environmental conferences

 

Since 2003, tests of wastewater technology plants have been carried out by PIA GmbH, a subsidiary company of PIA e.V.