What wastewater reveals

What our wastewater reveals about us

In Austria, wastewater in sewage treatment plants is routinely scrutinized and a lot comes to light. In particular, the consumption of drugs and alcohol by residents around the treatment plants is becoming clearer. The "Krone" took a closer look at the analyses and found some exciting things.

Every year, wastewater from 16 Austrian sewage treatment plants is analyzed for drug residues at the Medical University of Innsbruck. This year, for the first time, the Reinhalteverband Ried im Innkreis (Upper Austria) and the surrounding area also provided water samples, and the results were not very encouraging.