The paper presents the technology of volatile chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons removal and recovery. The study has been conducted at the Kanalstrasse installation in West Berlin. In the paper design, construction and operating problems have been described together with the results obtained during its over a year long performance. An alternative cost analysis has been worked out for a currently designed installation at the municipal works in Saarbrucken. The two technological systems analysed featured: - stripping with simultaneous air-wash in a close cycle and recover of hydrocarbons as a concentrated mixture - filtration and adsorption on activated carbon/including carbon regeneration/.