Improved risk assessment for strategic water management to reduce micro-pollutant emissions in the Baltic Sea Region

APRIORA

APRIORA at regional level - Rostock Wastewater Conference

19 January 2026

APRIORA transfers solution and piloting results in the region Northeast of Germany to target groups

On November 4, 2025, the 14th Rostock Wastewater Conference took place and focused on the new European Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD). We took the chance to show the APRIORA solution’s benefits and exchange with more than 120 participants representing our target groups in the water management field: local and regional authorities, environmental agencies, wastewater treatment operators and associations as well as water and wastewater experts from the region in Northeast Germany.

Briefly about the conference

The objectives and requirements set out in the UWWTD are both comprehensive and challenging. At the event, the planned concrete implementations in German law were one of the subjects under discussion. A position was determined with a focus on the region northeastern of Germany. Consequently, a range of solutions and tools for achieving the requirements were presented. The exchange of experiences with speakers from other regions provided a potential shift in perspective. The range of topics covered almost all of the points currently being intensively discussed in the EU-UWWTD.

APRIORA – showcasting a solution for risk assessment in the region

Together with our associated organization, the State Agency of Environment, Nature Conservation & Geology, the APRIORA team was delighted to be part of the conference. In the second thematic section, ‘Requirements for wastewater treatment’, Jens Tränckner from the University of Rostock presented the APRIORA project. In accordance with the current status of the project, preliminary regional pilot results were demonstrated. In this context, model-based risk ratios for the German Warnow catchment area were exemplarily shown in risk maps for well-known pharmaceuticals carbamazepine and diclofenac. Additionally, the potential upgrade by quarternary treatment of three relevant wastewater treatment plant was integrated as mitigation measure, so that regional experts could compare catchment risk maps before and after the implementation. This was highly relevant for our target group of plant operators, who are in charge of finding cost-effective options at their facilities with the most promising effect of risk reduction. The findings of the emission and transport modelling in the Warnow catchment area were also validated with monitoring data provided by the regional authorities, our second main target group.

As a result, the preliminary piloting presentation successfully engaged target groups and highlighted that the APRIORA approach is a valuable tool for implementing the EU-UWWTD in the region.

And what’s next?

During and after the conference, both associated organisations and the project partners discussed and exchanged ideas on transferring the piloting results of the Warnow catchment not only inside the partnership, but also with externals. Neighbouring environmental agencies expressed further interest in applying the APRIORA solution in their region and were consequently invited to our webinar on December 15th 2026. Another potential application was identified in a feasibility study for upgrading a large wastewater treatment plant. Last but not least, a student will soon focus his work on transferring the solution to another catchment within our Federal State in cooperation with the regional environmental agency. So: Stay tuned – the region is in full transfer mode!