System solutions for Water treatment plants Mannheim

The network includes main pipes that transport water to the various parts of the city, as well as smaller pipes that supply individual households and businesses. The quality of the drinking water is regularly monitored to ensure that it complies with legal requirements and the requirements of the German Drinking Water Ordinance.

MVV Energie AG conducts extensive examinations and tests to ensure the purity and safety of the water. The water supply in Mannheim is generally provided via a water meter in each household or commercial establishment. The charges for the water supply are set by MVV Energie AG and billed on the basis of water consumption.

State-of-the-art water treatment technologies and sustainable use of resources: the impressive water supply in Mannheim

The water supply in the city of Mannheim is largely provided by MVV Energie AG. Here, most of the drinking water is taken from the Rhine and treated by special water extraction and treatment plants. The precise treatment processes vary depending on requirements and water quality in order to ensure optimum purity and safety of the drinking water. These processes typically include various stages of treatment such as sedimentation, filtration, disinfection, and other specialized treatment processes as appropriate.

During sedimentation, solids are removed from the water through targeted settling processes, reducing impurities and suspended solids. This is followed by filtration, in which the water is passed through special filters to remove the finest particles, turbidity and organic matter. Disinfection serves to kill microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses in order to protect the drinking water from pathogens. Various processes are used here, such as the addition of chlorine, ozone or UV irradiation. Depending on requirements, further treatment processes, such as activated carbon filtration or the removal of certain chemical compounds, can be used to ensure high water quality.

The treated drinking water contains about 500 milligrams of dissolved minerals and important trace elements per liter. It is important to note that the mineral content of drinking water is not higher than that of mineral water. In addition, the treated drinking water is clear and tasteless, which promotes its drinkability and versatile use in households and businesses.

The treated drinking water is distributed via an extensive network of pipes in Mannheim. This network consists of main pipelines transporting the water to the various parts of the city, as well as smaller pipelines supplying households and businesses directly. To ensure the quality of the drinking water on an ongoing basis, it is subject to regular monitoring and testing. MVV Energie AG conducts extensive tests to guarantee the purity and safety of the water. In doing so, it strictly adheres to legal requirements and the requirements of the Drinking Water Ordinance. The charges for the water supply are set by MVV Energie AG and are based on users’ individual water consumption.

The drinking water in Mannheim not only meets the strict requirements of the Drinking Water Ordinance, but even exceeds them. The City of Mannheim, with a 51 percent shareholding in MVV Energie AG, assumes responsibility for supplying drinking water. Drinking water is obtained exclusively from groundwater extracted in designated water protection areas. This enables the sustainable use of water resources and ensures a high standard of raw water in the long term.

MVV Energie AG operates several waterworks in Mannheim with impressive water treatment capacities. The Käfertal waterworks, for example, extracts up to 3,000 cubic meters of water per hour from 27 shallow and deep wells. The Rheinau waterworks is another important supplier of drinking water in Mannheim, extracting up to 6,300 cubic meters of groundwater per hour. Moreover, MVV Energie AG obtains around 18 percent of its drinking water from the Schwetzinger Hardt.

One crucial aspect of water supply is water hardness. In MVV Energie AG’s supply area, water hardness is classified as “hard”. Water hardness is determined by the content of dissolved calcium and magnesium compounds. The higher this content, the harder the water is classified. Calcium and magnesium are referred to as hardness minerals. Hardness is expressed either in millimoles per liter (mmol/l) or degrees of German hardness (°dH). In the supply area of MVV Energie AG, the total hardness is in the “hard” range. It is possible that limescale deposits may occur in household appliances when hard water is used. Therefore, the use of water softeners may be considered in such cases.

In order to promote a conscious and sustainable use of the precious resource water, various tips are given to the citizens of Mannheim. These include, for example, drinking tap water in order to save money and at the same time act in an environmentally friendly manner, as bottling and transporting bottled water consumes resources. Furthermore, it is recommended to use hot water sparingly to save energy. Avoiding the discharge of waste, pharmaceutical residues or toxins down the drain or toilet can protect drinking water resources. It is of great importance to use the valuable resource of water carefully and sustainably in order to ensure a reliable water supply in Mannheim in the long term.