The Tegel harbour basin in Berlin’s Reinickendorf district unites the present with the past. Previously built as a site for handling cargo, this elongated basin is now a quiet stretch of water surrounded by modern homes and old quay walls, a place that has also become a popular recreational area. And there is a reason why the standards are so high here. Alongside the normal city cleaning measures, the harbour basin is also given a deep clean at regular intervals.
A task that is not without its challenges: specialist technology is a must here to successfully cope with the historical structure, limited accessibility and modern environmental standards. This is where AQUA-TOOL GmbH comes into play. A REMONDIS Group company, this firm is well-known for its specialist expertise in the field of technical pipe and sewer services. And it was thanks to these skills that the Reinickendorf district authorities recently commissioned the AQUA-TOOL specialists to clean the Tegel harbour basin.
Freeing the basin of algae & odours
It is in the nature of things that the basin must be cleaned regularly: the standing water and limited water circulation are a perfect breeding ground for algae, especially in the summer. The water flowing out of the basin into the Tegel Lake and Havel River can affect the quality of the River Spree. Which is why algae, organic material and waste must be removed from the harbour basin to prevent them – or at least large quantities of them – getting into the Havel and then the Spree.
In addition to this, the old algae and plants can cause unpleasant odours – odours that can become a major problem in such an area with its many homes and restaurants. The goal of this work, therefore, was not only to remove all of the visible waste but also the deposits that had built up at the bottom of the basin, in the hard-to-reach niches and along the embankment. These measures are important for protecting both the environment and the quality of the area all around the harbour basin.
The challenges of working on a listed structure
This cleaning work, however, presented a number of technical challenges. Approx. 10,000m² in size, this shallow water basin is surrounded by high-quality residential buildings and the Humboldt Library and there is also an island in the middle of the basin that is home to a number of villas. With the infrastructure being so compact, accessibility to the basin is very restricted so that very few types of large vehicles could be brought in to help do the work. Measures also had to be taken to protect the neighbouring homes from noise pollution and emissions, so the team were only able to use electric machinery, apart from the transport vehicles.
And then there was also the basin’s historical heritage: some parts of the Tegel harbour basin are listed (i.e. they are legally protected because they are of special historic interest) which means that certain regulations must be followed when technical work needs to be carried out. Large-scale changes may not be made to the basin’s structure and certain types of machinery and chemicals may not be used. The work must be performed without damaging its historical structure. All of these rules and regulations limit which cleaning methods can be deployed and require more extensive planning and preparation.
Special equipment & expertise required
The AQUA-TOOL experts planned this complex project meticulously before carrying out the deep cleaning work within a tight schedule. They used suitable specialist equipment throughout that created zero carbon emissions and hardly any noise at all. And the results were impressive: the removal of the algae and odour sources has once again made the harbour basin a more attractive place for the residents and visitors alike. Both the restaurant staff and those visiting the local restaurants all said the same thing: “You can see the difference straight away. The water doesn’t smell anymore and the waterfront looks neat and tidy.”
This project to clean the Tegel harbour basin effectively found itself walking a tightrope between meeting the need to maintain urban structures on the one hand and respecting the specific regulations for listed buildings on the other. All of the work required, however, was well worth its while with the harbour basin once again looking as good as new. Another project successfully mastered by AQUA-TOOL’s experts, who were not only able to make the very most of their expertise during the cleaning project in Tegel but also to gather valuable experience for future challenges.
AQUA-TOOL: nationwide drain, pipe & sewer services
AQUA-TOOL GmbH is a REMONDIS Group company specialising in technical pipe and sewer services. Working from eight different locations, its staff deliver the company’s services across the country, ensuring that everything runs smoothly – from dealing with emergency pipe blockages, to performing professional pipe cleaning work, all the way through to regularly emptying cesspits and carrying out preventative sewer inspections.
Image credits: © Sprungbrett Medien
