World Water Day continues to be significant because 2.2 billion people still do not have access to clean drinking water.
Despite its high status as a natural and cultural asset, water is rarely the focus of public interest in our country. This may be due to the fact that it is always and at all times available. Nevertheless, water is of immense importance. Even at the start of the day, no one wants to do without water: Showering, brushing teeth, going to the toilet, the first cup of coffee, even cooking, cleaning and washing clothes can only be done with water. Every German citizen uses around 125 liters of water every day.
Equally valuable for urban life in Stuttgart are the fountains and bodies of water with their diverse functions. They contribute to the good urban climate and are oases of recreation for people and habitats for animals. In the urban area of Stuttgart, the Civil Engineering Office is responsible for the maintenance of the smaller bodies of water, lakes and fountains. These include around 70 streams with a total length of around 150 kilometers and 16 lakes with a water surface area of approximately 44 hectares. In addition to maintenance, watercourse maintenance also includes watercourse development. Wherever possible, watercourses are to be developed back to a near-natural state, while at the same time taking into account social requirements such as local recreation and flood protection. SES makes a significant contribution to keeping water bodies clean and ensuring that there is sufficient water in rivers and streams even during dry summer months.
Approximately 170 public well systems are operated by the Public Works Department. Citywide, there are approximately 250 public fountain facilities. They offer passers-by welcome cooling and free drinking water during the warm summer months. The construction of further water features and drinking fountains is planned as part of the “Climate Protection Action Program”.
A functioning sewer network with a length of around 1700 kilometers and the four sewage treatment plants of Stadtentwässerung Stuttgart ensure that polluted wastewater is drained and cleaned. Last year, the wastewater treatment plants treated around 80 million cubic meters of polluted wastewater and returned it to the natural water cycle.
In order to meet the environmental targets set by Stadtentwässerung Stuttgart, no valuable drinking water is wasted in the wastewater treatment plants for processing chemicals, washing screenings, flushing pipes and cleaning basins. All Stuttgart wastewater treatment plants have a service water network that is fed by treated and further processed wastewater.
Activated carbon for more environmental protection
For more environmental protection, technology is being further expanded with the planned “fourth treatment stage” at the Stuttgart-Mühlhausen main sewage treatment plant. In cooperation with the University of Stuttgart, a process has been developed for Stuttgart’s main sewage treatment plant. This uses activated carbon to remove trace substances such as residues of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, X-ray contrast agents, corrosion inhibitors and plasticizers from the water. This new treatment stage, which will be integrated into the existing treatment stages, will be built at the main wastewater treatment plant by 2028. The first sub-stages of trace substance elimination, with the addition of activated carbon to the effluent of the aeration basins, will already go into operation at the beginning of next year. It is important to preserve the valuable water in its various uses today and in the future.
Waters brochure of the city of Stuttgart
The brochure “Portrait of Stuttgart’s Watercourses” provides information about the history of the development of important Stuttgart watercourses, their originally intended function and what makes them such a positive experience today. On 32 pages, the brochure provides an insight into the work of the Civil Engineering Office in connection with the maintenance and development of Stuttgart’s flowing and still waters. It was published in July 2020 by the Civil Engineering Office of the City of Stuttgart. The brochure is available free of charge during the given opening hours, which may be restricted due to the pandemic, at the i-Punkt of the Tourist Information Office in the lower Königstraße and at the Infothek in the City Hall.