Due to global demographic trends as well as new legislations the EU project Neptune puts its focus on improved effluent quality, energy reduction and resource 
reuse (water, nutrients and sludge). In the Work Package No. 1 the upgrading of existing municipal infrastructure was investigated with new control strategies 
based on online sensors; nitritation/anammox process for nitrogen reduction; micropollutant removal with ozone or activated carbon addition as well as 
improved sludge processing and reuse by sludge triage and thermal-hydrolysis of biomass.  
  
NEPTUNE will approach these tasks by focusing on technology solutions allowing to meet present and future standards via upgrading of existing municipal 
infrastructure (new control strategies with online sensors; effluent upgrading with oxidation, activated carbon or wetland treatment; safe sludge processing 
and reuse) as well as via new techniques (fuel cell applications; new oxidation processes; production of polymer and phosphate from sludge). By including 
pathogens and ecotoxicity aspects into life cycle assessment studies (LCA), the project is helping to improve the comparability of various technical options 
and propose a suitability ranking. 
            

Due to global demographic trends as well as new legislations the EU project Neptune puts its focus on improved effluent quality, energy reduction and resource 
reuse (water, nutrients and sludge). In the Work Package No. 1 the upgrading of existing municipal infrastructure was investigated with new control strategies 
based on online sensors; nitritation/anammox process for nitrogen reduction; micropollutant removal with ozone or activated carbon addition as well as 
improved sludge processing and reuse by sludge triage and thermal-hydrolysis of biomass.