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Water Management and Waste

Water Treatment in Germany

Visitors Programme: Green Tech (made) in Germany

Berlin, September 6th, 2016

Evelyn Lukat

Ecologic Institute

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2010:

Water Management Act

1977: Fertiliser Act

1975: Surface Water

The statutory framework of water

management in Europe and Germany

1970 2000 2030

1980: Drinking Water

First wave:

Water quality

1991: Nitrates & Urban

Wastewater Treatment

Second wave:

Emission limits

1998: Drinking water

2000: Water Framework

2006 - 2013:

Dangerous substances

Fresh waters fish

2006: Ground water

2008: Environmental quality

standards

2006: Marine Framework

2007: Floods Third wave:

Integrated approach

1960: Surface

Water in Water

Management Act

1978: Effluent Charges Act

1976: Drinking Water

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Bund Agencies

Bund Institutions Federal Ministries

Supreme Water

Authorities (Land Ministry)

Land Agencies

Land Institutions

State Agencies

for Water

Management

Higher Water

Authorities (Regional Government)

Lower Water

Authorities (Cities, Districts, Agencies)

Authorities Agencies

Supervision

Bases Supervision

Bases

Supervision

Supervision

Bases

Bases Supervision

Industry, Trades,

Agriculture

Individuals

Inter-Municipal Ass.

Water Associations

Dike Associations

Statutory Ass.

Cities,

Municipalities Municipal Associations

Monitoring

and

Enforcement

Self-Government

and Water Users

Source: Kraemer & Jaeger, 1998 3

Associated in

Monitoring

and

Enforcement

State Institutional framework

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Statutory framework in Germany

4

Exclusive

competence

Concurrent

competence

Competence for

framework laws

Bund •WaterFramework

Directive

•Groundwater

•Floods

•Marine Strategy

•Surface Water

•Drinking Water

• Water Management Act

• Water Association Act

• Federal Waterways Act

• Drinking Water

Ordinanace

• Effluent Charges Act

Länder •Land Water Acts and

implementation of law

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river basin specific

pollutants

thermal, oxygenation

and nutrient

conditions

hydrological

regime, morphological

conditions or tidal

regime

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD)

fish, benthic

invertebrates,

aquatic flora

morpho-logical

biological physico-chemical

Source: UBA (2010) 5

Attaining “good environmental status” for Europe’s rivers,

lakes, groundwater bodies and coastal waters by 2015

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Source: BMU (2010)

The Implementation of the WFD

River Basin Management

Plans

Water management

according to the natural unit:

the river basin

Responsibility on Laender

level

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Good Ecological Status in Germany

7

In 2015,10 % of the surface water bodies are in good or very good state.

More than half of the water bodies are heavily modified in their flow regime. 3 % of

these have a good ecological potential.

The main reasons for not

reaching the good status are:

• Alterations in the flow regime

(regulations on the rivers,

interrupted passability)

• Nutrient emissions to water

bodies mainly from agriculture

Source: UBA (2015)

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stream water 1% water from

lakes and reservoirs

12%

enriched groundwater

9% water from

bank filtration 8%

spring water 9%

groundwater 61%

Sources: German Federal Statistical Office (2009) in wvgw (2011); German Federal Statistical Office (2013) 8

Reclaimed water is not (yet) used in Germany due to

abundance of water resources

Availability and Sources of Water

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Uses of Water

Energy (thermal energy)

64%

Industry 23%

Households 9%

Agriculture 4%

Public water

supply 16%

Non-public water

supply 84%

Sources: VEWA (2010) & BDEW in wvgw (2011); TAB (2013), United States Geological Survey (2005) 9

Non-public water supply

comprises water uses of industry,

agriculture and energy

94 % of the industrial water

demand is covered by own supply

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Per-capita water consumption in Germany

India: 135 L

Phillipines: 165 L

Canada: 335 L

10 UNDP 2006

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Per-capita water consumption in Germany

Since 1990, average water consumption has decreased by 16% due to changed

consumption patterns, the development and use of water-saving fittings and

household appliances.

Water for industry

continuously decreases

due to changed production

processes and increasing

self-production.

However, facilities are

under used.

11

lite

rs p

er

pers

on a

nd

day

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Water Losses

12 Sources: IGES/TU Berlin (2010) & VEWA (2010) in WVGW(2011), Cooley & Gleick 2009

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Wastewater disposal in Germany in 2010

13 Source: German Federal Statistical Office in wvgw (2015)

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Role of municipalities in Germany

Self government of municipalities is legally ensured.

Municipalities are obliged to handle wastewater disposal and may manage their

drinking water supply.

Water supply:

40% private,

60% public

#Title of Presentation# 14

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Role of municipalities in Germany

Self government of municipalities is legally ensured.

Municipalities are obliged to handle wastewater disposal and may manage their

drinking water supply.

Water supply:

40% private,

60% public

#Title of Presentation# 15

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Waste Water Treatment

According to generally accepted best available technology

1. Purification stage: Mechanical processes (adsorption, filtration, stripping)

with grill, sand filtration, primary sedimentation tank

2. Purification stage: Microbiological processes, decomposition of organic

components (aerobic & unaerobic), elimination of organic Nitrogen &

Phosphorus

3. Purification stage: Abiotic-chemical processes (oxidation, precipitation) to

further eliminate Phosphorus

97% of the municipal wastewater is treated at highest EU standard: biological

treatment with nutrient elimination.

Waste water treatment plants achieved removal of 81% of nitrogen and 91% of

phosphorous

16

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Challenge: Micropollution

100,000 compounds are registered in the EU; 25% evaluated for their

ecotoxicity (Fent, 2003)

Personal hygiene products, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, paint

Potentially toxic or carcinogenic

Which effects do they have?

Endocrine disruptors

Techniques are known

Managed aquifer recharge, advanced

oxidation techniques, hybrid

membrane filtration, bioassays

17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8iihsQYOos

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Pfalzburger Str. 43/44

10717 Berlin

Germany

Tel. +49 (30) 86880-0

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Thank you for listening!

18

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References (1) Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit (BMU). Erfahrungsbericht 2011

zum Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (EEG-Erfahrungsbericht) gemäß § 65 EEG. Vorzulegen dem

Deutschen Bundestag durch die Bundesregierung. Entwurf vom 03.05.2011.

Büro für Technikfolgen-Abschätzung beim Deutschen Bundestag (TAB). Herausforderungen einer

nachhaltigen Wasserwirtschaft: Innovationsreport. Working report no 158. Draft. Berlin: May 2013.

Cooley, H. & P. Gleick. Urban Water-Use Efficiencies:Lessons from United States Citites, in: P.

Gleick: The World's Water 2008–2009 - The Biennial Report of Freshwater Resources, Island Press,

2009, ISBN 10:1-59726-504-7

Fent, K. Ökotoxikologie: Umweltchemie, Toxikologie, Ökologie ; 63 Tabellen. Stuttgart [u.a.]: Thieme,

2003.

Kraemer, R.A. & F. Jäger. Germany. In: Institutions for Water Resources Management in Europe. pp.

183-325. F.N. Correia (Ed.). Vol. 1. Rotterdam: 1998.

19 8/12/2013 AWWA - Dessert and Learn about Germany, Denver – R.A. Kraemer

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References (2)

Richter, S., J. Völker & T. Dworak. Die Wasserrahmenrichtlinie: Auf dem Weg zu guten Gewässern-

Ergebnis der Bewirtschaftungsplanung 2009 in Deutschland. Bundesministeriums für Umwelt,

Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, Wasserwirtschaft, Bonn: 2010.

Statistisches Bundesamt (German Federal Statistical Office). Umwelt: Öffentliche

Wasserversorgung und öffentliche Abwasserentsorgung 2010. Fachserie 19 Reihe 2.1.1.

Wiesbaden: 2013.

Umweltbundesamt (UBA). Ökologischer Zustand der Gewässer.

https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/daten/gewaesserbelastung/fliessgewaesser/oekologischer-

zustand-der-fliessgewaesser. 2015.

Umweltbundesamt (UBA). Umweltbundesamt: Bedeutung der Wasserkraft in Deutschland.

http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/wasser/themen/fluesse-und-

seen/fluesse/belastungen/wasserkraftnutzung.htm. 2008.

UNDP. Human Development Report: Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis.

United Nations Development Programme, New York. 2006.

Wirtschafts- und Verlagsgesellschaft Gas und Wasser mbH (wvgw). Profile of the German Water

Sector. Bonn: 2015.

20 8/12/2013 AWWA - Dessert and Learn about Germany, Denver – R.A. Kraemer