Playing a vital role in supplying drinking water
The Tettau waterworks, situated in the south of the German state of Brandenburg, has been playing a vital role in supplying the Lausitz region with drinking water since 1955. The raw water is extracted from the ‘Lausitzer Urstromtal’ valley and processed into drinking water for the waterworks’ 80,000+ customers, who are both local residents as well as industrial and commercial businesses. REMONDIS Aqua’s subsidiary Wasserverband Lausitz Betriebsführungs GmbH (WAL-Betrieb), which has been responsible for the plant since 2006, has now extended the capacity of the waterworks in response to changes to the region’s water network – caused in particular by LEAG, Lausitz Energie Bergbau AG, shutting down its water supply services.
Politicians and business leaders invited to the event
The new facility was officially opened during a special cere- mony that was attended by a large number of politicians and business leaders including Norbert Rethmann, honorary chairman of the supervisory board of the RETHMANN Group. “Right from the start, we have ensured that the Tettau waterworks provides a reliable supply of drinking water. By extending the facility, we are now able to produce even more top quality water every year,” commented both WAL-Betrieb managing directors, Stefan Voß and Thomas Fürl.
Robert Ristow, Managing Director of EURAWASSER GmbH & Co. KG, Dr Roland Socher, Chairman of the Lausitz Water Association, Norbert Rethmann, Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the RETHMANN Group, and Andreas Bankamp, Managing Director of REMONDIS Aqua GmbH, at the official opening ceremony in Tettau
“This official opening makes it very clear just how big the Tettau waterworks is. I would use the following analogy to demonstrate its size: the amount of water that it produces every day could fill one of our regional swimming pools at least 50 times over.”
Kersten Sickert, Chairman of the Association Meeting and Director of the Ortrand Department
Far more efficient than before
An in-house work group made up of WAL and WAL-Betrieb employees had begun planning the extension work back in 2014. As a result, the cost of building the new facility was much lower than anticipated. 50% less surface area, fewer internal pipes and half the energy consumption are now needed to ensure large parts of the Lausitz region will have all the drinking water they need over the coming decades.
“This official opening represents yet another milestone of the longstanding and successful partnership between the Lausitz Water Association and REMONDIS Aqua. Making the most of the experience gathered from the existing facilities, we have succeeded in extending the waterworks by 20,000m³ in a most efficient and cost effective way, almost doubling the plant’s capacity.”
Dr Roland Socher, Chairman of the Lausitz Water Association and head of the in-house waterworks extension planning group
Brandenburg’s largest waterworks certainly has an interesting history:
Image credits: images 1, 3–9: iStock: PongsakornJun; image 2: © REMONDIS
