System solutions for Water treatment plants Erfurt
Tradition and future for innovative Water treatment plants Erfurt
Since December 2005, customers previously supplied with hard groundwater have been receiving mixed water, with a few exceptions due to technological reasons. The Erfurt mixed water is a balanced mix. It consists of Erfurt groundwater, which is particularly rich in minerals and trace elements, and low-hardness reservoir water from the Thuringian Forest. The two waters are combined in elevated tanks that have been specially converted into mixing tanks. Mixed in a controlled manner, they produce the medium-soft Erfurt mixed water, which supplies around 172,000 people around the clock.
ThüWa ThüringenWasser GmbH supplies almost 75,000 inhabitants of its supply area with pure long-distance water. This soft surface water comes from the Ohratal Reservoir near Luisenthal. The water collected in the dam is treated in a waterworks to make it suitable for human consumption. The exact treatment steps may include filtration, disinfection and, if necessary, the addition of chemicals to purify the water and remove impurities.
Drinking water is the best controlled foodstuff in Germany. GWA Gesellschaft für Wasser- und Abwasserservice mbH, a company of the ThüWa Group, monitors the perfect quality of Erfurt’s drinking water through its branch, the Institute for Water and Environmental Analysis. It is also permanently monitored by the responsible health authorities.
For consumers, this guarantees safe consumption and safety. Water consumption data is recorded and used by Stadtwerke Erfurt for billing customers. Customers receive corresponding water bills based on their individual consumption.
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From the beginnings until today: The professional development of drinking water production in Erfurt
From the beginnings until today: The professional development of drinking water extraction in Erfurt
The professional extraction of drinking water in Erfurt is based on a balanced mixture of Erfurt groundwater, dam water from Luisenthal and long-distance water from the Ohratal dam. ThüWa ThüringenWasser GmbH, acting on behalf of Stadtwerke Erfurt, ensures that the drinking water is of good quality and medium water hardness.
The water sources for drinking water in Erfurt are diverse. The groundwater comes from the Thuringian Basin, which is known for its intensive agricultural use. The dams in the region, especially the Ohratalsperre in Luisenthal, serve as reservoirs for the dam water. This is used together with groundwater to ensure a sufficient water supply for the more than 243,000 inhabitants of the city.
The drinking water is extracted through targeted well drilling and the use of modern water treatment technology. Groundwater and reservoir water are first extracted and purified in treatment plants. In these plants, suspended solids, bacteria and other impurities are removed to ensure high water quality.
An important aspect of the extraction of drinking water is the control and monitoring of water quality. Regular analyses and tests are carried out to ensure that drinking water meets strict legal requirements and quality standards. This involves checking various parameters such as pH, hardness, mineral content and microbiological contamination.
The history of drinking water supply in Erfurt dates back to 1136, when the city’s first waterworks was established. Under the direction of Abbot Wernher I, a lead water pipeline was built from the spring waterworks at Peterborn to the Benedictine monastery on Erfurt’s Petersberg. This pipeline overcame a difference in altitude of 30 meters and, in effect, carried the water up the mountain.
Over the centuries, various developments and changes were made to Erfurt’s water supply. In 1375, the lead pipe was removed due to a long siege of the city. It was later replaced by a wooden pipeline, which proved highly durable. In the 15th century, the spring catchment at Peterborn was expanded to meet the increasing water needs of the monastery.
In 1834, the wooden pipes were finally replaced by durable cast iron, which increased the efficiency of the water supply. With the lifting of Erfurt’s fortress status in 1873 and construction outside the city walls, a piped water supply became necessary. However, the Peterborn waterworks could no longer meet the increasing demand, and new water sources were tapped.
Since 1876, drinking water for Erfurt has been obtained from the waterworks in Wechmar. In the following years, additional waterworks, such as the Dreienbrunnen waterworks, were built to supply the growing city with sufficient water. Nowadays, part of the drinking water comes from the Möbisburg waterworks and is mixed with dam water from Luisenthal to ensure optimum water quality.
The drinking water in Erfurt is of medium hardness, with the mineral content depending on the regional geology and the flow rate of the water. Minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which are important for the body, are naturally absorbed by the water from the ground. Drinking water in Erfurt has an average mineral content that benefits the body.
Compared to bottled mineral water, the tap water in Erfurt offers equivalent quality. Stiftung Warentest already confirmed in 2016 that tap water is healthy, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. The EU has also repealed a law that said mineral water must be particularly rich in minerals. Therefore, drinking water in Erfurt can in many cases even have a higher mineral content than bottled mineral water.