New wastewater treatment plant manager Fuchs: Focus on oil waste and green energy!

New wastewater treatment plant manager Fuchs: Focus on oil waste and green energy!

On October 18, 2025, the Obere Iller wastewater association (AOI) under the leadership of Florian Fuchs will be at the center of current developments. Fuchs has taken over the association's business since July of this year and brings with him his extensive knowledge of urban water management. The qualified resource specialist from Rottenburg am Neckar University has been living in the Allgäu since 2020 and has a passion for paragliding - a clear statement that he will also act with a breath of fresh air in his new role. He really appreciates the responsibility for around 40 employees who are responsible for the disposal and cleaning of wastewater.

An important point on Fuchs’ agenda is the construction of a new blower house in the sewage treatment plant, which promises to significantly reduce electricity costs for ventilation. In the future, the energy requirement will be covered by a photovoltaic system during the day and by gas from sewage sludge at night - a real milestone on the association's path to climate neutrality. An additional gas holder is also planned to stabilize the combined heat and power plants.

Innovations and security measures

In this context, sewage sludge drying is also being intensified, with the focus being on energy optimization and the expansion of renewable energy sources. Fuchs was also able to report that crisis management was clearly revised as part of the adjustments to security measures following the oil and wastewater scandal. The incident affected 2,000 liters of used oil, which resulted in disposal costs for the association of around 3,500 euros - a case that was very instructive for Fuchs and his team.

"I recommend that private individuals avoid having their own filter systems. Drinking water in Germany is well controlled," says Fuchs about the situation. The wastewater association has also officially put its new digestion tower into operation with an impressive capacity of around 32,000 bathtubs full of sludge. With construction costs of around 4.4 million euros and a height of 22 meters, this tower will play a key role in the wastewater treatment plant's desired energy self-sufficiency, confirms association chairman Dieter Fischer.

Sustainable energy production and European projects

While the Allgäu is actively working on new technologies and sustainable solutions, exciting European projects are also underway to exploit the potential of water management. The ResNRJwater program aims to further research and promote the use of renewable energies in the water and wastewater sector. This also includes the use of aquathermy to generate heat from wastewater, which is being tested in pilot measures in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Dr. Frank Obenaus from the Emschergenossenschaft underlines the need for a resilient energy supply. Source 3

Overall, these developments show that the wastewater association and the water industry in general are on the right track to continue to implement environmentally friendly and cost-efficient solutions in the future. It is clear that Florian Fuchs, with his expertise and a breath of fresh air, is setting the course for a sustainable future for the AOI Source 1 Source 2.