In conventional aircraft, the gray water, i.e., all water from sinks and galleys (on-board kitchens), is discharged outboard via a so-called “drainmast” that consists of a heated outlet pipe on the underside of the fuselage. The black water, i.e., the waste water from the on-board toilets, is collected in so-called “wastetanks” or waste water collection tanks and ultimately disposed of on the ground.
Various methods for the treatment of waste water are known. There exist mechanical methods that, for example, utilize filters, chemical methods that utilize, for example, activated carbon or other chemical substances, e.g., disinfectants, and organic methods as they are used in bacteriological clarification stages. Known arrangements for treating waste water that are able, in particular, to produce an adequate quantity of water of sufficient quality for supplying a so-called reformer from gray water or even black water are large, heavy or do not operate sufficiently fast or efficiently for use in an aircraft.