Berlin - Germany Water and wastewater services

Following the partial privatization of Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB), the Land of Berlin awarded the contract to manage the water and wastewater services to the Veolia Water-RWE consortium in 1999. It was Germany's first major outsourcing contract in the water sector.

Berlin's State government seeked to step up its environmental policy and improve the management of groundwater, Berlin's primary resource for meeting the city's domestic and industrial water needs.

• Developing a process for recharging aquifers that is both modern and effective (e.g. by recycling wastewater).
• Implementing sustainable management for underground water reserves.
• Guaranteeing water quality within the existing cycle.
• Understanding the process for eliminating impurities, how chemical reactions take place and their consequences on resources.

Modernizing installations

BWB, with a decisive contribution from Veolia Water, has modernized treatment installations, improved the quality of the wastewater retreated and implemented rigorous water quality management in order to meet the strict standards set by the City of Berlin.

Developing aquifer recharge

The aquifer is recharged both naturally (30%) and artificially (15%) as well as through filtration along lake and river banks (55%). After recycling,wastewater is released into two lakes, where filtration takes place along the banks to recharge the aquifer.

Implementing ambitious interdisciplinary research projects

• The Berlin Center of Competence for Water: this international center for research and transferring expertise on water brings together Veolia Water, Berlinwasser, various universities and research bodies.
• Two vast interdisciplinary research projects: CREAM (Complex Resource Evaluation and Analysis Methodology) used to study how to recharge groundwater and NASRI (Natural and Artificial Systems for Recharge and Infiltration) which studies recharge and infiltration aspects. The results are to lead to directives for designing and operating the filtration projects on the banks.

"I am pleased that this [Berlin Center of Competence for Water] has led to a qualitative breakthrough in the water and wastewater management field. It serves as an accessible and useful network institution for all players in the Berlin water sector."

Volkmar Strauch, State secretary, Senate Department for the Economy, Labor and Women, Berlin