WaterTechLab Wageningen - For innovation in water quality and water management
Good to know
In short- Research for complex water issues
- PFAS & microplastics
- Pilot and reactor setups
- High-end measuring instruments
- Research, education, outreach
The WaterTechLab Wageningen combines advanced research facilities and expertise in the field of water quality and water quantity. Here companies, researchers, governments and other organisations can develop, test, and validate innovative solutions for complex water challenges. We are working on the urgent water challenges of our time: from nitrogen pollution and PFAS to microplastics and global water scarcity.
What can you do at WaterTechLab Wageningen?
By combining expertise in water quality and water quantity, WaterTechLab supports partners in developing innovative solutions for a safe and sustainable water environment. The facility offers extensive opportunities for laboratory research, pilot studies, and field measurements related to water quality, water management, and circular water systems.
Researchers and partners work on challenges such as the removal of PFAS and other micropollutants, nutrient recovery, water reuse, desalination, and the spread of microplastics in the environment. Using advanced reactor systems, wetlands, flumes, and high-end monitoring equipment, processes can be tested and validated under realistic conditions.
WaterTechLab brings together expertise in hydrology, hydraulics, and environmental technology, enabling an integrated approach to complex water-related challenges. The facility also provides support in experimental design, data collection, and the technical operation of research setups.
The facility consists of two complementary locations: one hosted by the Environmental Technology (ETE) chair group and one by the Hydrology and Environmental Hydraulics (HWM) chair group. Together, they provide a unique research environment where innovative water solutions can be developed, tested, and validated.
The ETE location features 34 flexible research setups equipped with a wide range of (bio)reactors and advanced online monitoring systems. In addition, outdoor basins with constructed wetlands are available for practice-oriented research. Researchers work here on solutions to current water challenges, including the removal of PFAS and other micropollutants, desalination, and the recovery of valuable resources from wastewater.
The installations can be safely configured for experiments involving toxic compounds. Thanks to a direct connection to the wastewater treatment plant in Bennekom, experiments can also be carried out using real wastewater streams. Experienced laboratory technicians support researchers and partners in designing, building, and operating complex experimental setups.
The HWM location houses four flumes of different sizes for research into water flow and the transport of particles such as sediment and microplastics. Two of these flumes can recirculate both fresh and salt water, including particle transport under controlled conditions.
The facility is equipped with high-end instruments for measuring flow characteristics and analysing particle transport, some of which can also be used for field studies. In addition, a rainfall-runoff simulator allows researchers to recreate realistic field conditions for studying water and sediment transport. Specialized technicians support the execution and optimization of experiments at this location.
Who is this facility for?
WaterTechLab Wageningen is designed for companies, research institutes, governmental organisations, and water authorities working on innovative solutions for water quality, water management, and circular water systems. The facility also supports education, training programmes, and collaborative research projects.
Why choose this facility?
We bring together expertise in water quality, water quantity, and advanced technologies within one integrated research environment
We offer:
• Broad expertise in water systems
• From laboratory to field validation
• Advanced monitoring technologies
• Realistic testing environments
• Support from scientific specialists
Questions about this facilty?
Would you like to collaborate with the WaterTechLab Wageningen or learn more about the possibilities? Please contact chairholder Adriaan Mels.
