The institute represents the "water in environmental protection" with the relevant departments in teaching, in research and in the public.

• Wastewater and waste management deals with the collection, discharge and management of wastewater and stormwater, as well as the disposal of waste in urban areas, including the necessary physical, chemical and biological treatment measures. In the wastewater laboratory, chemical and physical parameters can be determined and tests can be carried out on a laboratory and semi-technical scale.
• The area of water supply and soil water balance deals with water supply for settlements, agriculture and wetland habitats, drainage in agriculture, erosion and flood control as well as water body and wetland management.
• Furthermore, the institute is active in the field of hydrology, both in teaching and research. Two hydrological test areas are supervised, one in the urban area (Graz) and one in the rural area (Pöllau/Eastern Styria).