From wastewater to resource: The Norwegian innovation rethinking water treatment Across Europe, wastewater treatment plants are facing ageing infrastructure, stricter environmental regulations, and rising chemical and operational costs. At the same time, pressure to reduce emissions and recover valuable resources continues to grow. By Thea Johansen
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Photos: Hias How2O
Just outside Hamar, Norway, a wastewater treatment plant has spent the last decade proving that there may be a different way forward. Developed at Hias IKS, the regional wastewater treatment facility serving communities around Lake Mjøsa, the Hias Process® is a patented treatment technology that uses biology rather than chemicals to remove nutrients from wastewater. What began as an ambitious research and development project has evolved into an internationally recognised solution with the potential to transform how wastewater is treated. 42
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Issue 193
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August 2026
“The idea is actually quite simple,” begins Anders Enger, managing director at Hias How2O, the company established to commercialise the technology. “Instead of forcing the process with chemicals, we let biology do the work it was designed to do.” For decades, wastewater treatment plants have relied heavily on chemical dosing to remove phosphorus and other pollutants before water is discharged back into the environment. While effective, this approach comes with significant drawbacks, including high operating costs, chemical dependency, increased sludge production and a larger environmental footprint.
Anders Enger, managing director at Hias How2O.
The Hias Process® takes a different approach. By carefully managing natural-