System solutions for Water treatment plants Göttingen

The exact treatment steps may include filtration, disinfection and, if necessary, the addition of chemicals to make the water suitable for human consumption, which is done strictly according to the specifications of the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV).

Stadtwerke Göttingen AG monitors the quality of drinking water through regular inspections and tests. Chemical and microbiological analyses are carried out to ensure that the water meets the applicable quality standards of the Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV) and is thus safe for consumption.

Drinking water supply in Göttingen: High quality and diversity of water sources

Stadtwerke Göttingen AG is responsible for supplying water to over 120,000 residents in Göttingen. About 80 percent of the drinking water for the city is drawn from the Sösetal Reservoir in the Harz Mountains, which is operated by Harzwasserwerke. The remaining 20 percent is obtained from Stadtwerke Göttingen AG’s own water extraction plants, including the Springmühle, Stegemühle and Weendespring plants.

Through an elaborate process, the resin water and the company’s own water are mixed together to achieve a particularly good quality of Göttingen’s drinking water. Experts confirm the high quality of the water. Another advantage of Göttingen’s drinking water is its softness, as the water hardness is only about seven degrees of German hardness (7°dH).

The treated drinking water is distributed through an extensive network of about 500 kilometers of water pipes in Göttingen. About 20,000 house connections supply about 25,000 cubic meters of drinking water daily, although on peak days this volume can be one and a half times as much.

The history of water supply in Göttingen includes various milestones. In 1872, the city council decided to build a water pipeline between the Reinsquelle spring and the fountains in the city center. In 1892, the first well went into operation on the Stegemühle site in Geismar. In 1932, the Springmühle in Grone was taken over by the city and developed seven years later.

Between 1948 and 1978, there were various developments to renew and expand the water supply facilities due to a water shortage. In 1978, an agreement was made with the Harzwasserwerke, and two years later, drinking water began to be drawn from the Sösetal Dam via a 40-kilometer pipeline.

In the following years, water protection zones were established around the water extraction areas, especially the Springmühle. In 1996, the state of Lower Saxony sold the Harzwasserwerke, and since then six percent of the company has belonged to the Göttingen municipal utility.

In 2001, a second hydroelectric power plant was built at the Harzwasser transfer station in Weende to cover a large part of the electricity demand for the pumps in the city area. A first power plant was already built in the early 1990s.