Expanding Drinking Water Agreement: Haan and Solingen Sign New Deal
Stadtwerke Solingen and Stadtwerke Haan Extend Water Supply Contract
In a significant move, Stadtwerke Solingen and Stadtwerke Haan have extended their water supply contract, securing the high-quality drinking water supply for the residents of Haan until the end of 2046.
The concession for the drinking water supply has been secured for the next 40 years, marking a continuation of a successful collaboration between the two entities. The new contract covers an annual supply of approximately 1.8 million cubic meters of drinking water.
The residents of Haan will continue to be supplied with high-quality drinking water from the Sengbach and Großer Dhünntalsperre reservoirs. The water, soft surface water with a low lime content, is highly valued for its low hardness.
The decision to renew the contracts prematurely is an unusual yet beneficial move, especially in the utility sector. This instance underscores the strong partnership between the two entities.
Leif Reitis, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Solingen, expressed pleasure at continuing the successful and constructive cooperation. Grit Köhler, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Haan, echoed the sentiment, expressing pleasure at the stable and trustworthy partnership between Haan and Solingen.
The extension of the contract is a testament to the long-term cooperation that ensures the residents of Haan can continue to rely on flawless and high-quality drinking water in the future.
Ensuring High-Quality Drinking Water
The high-quality drinking water supply by Stadtwerke Solingen and Stadtwerke Haan is ensured through several key factors and measures:
- Source Protection: Both utilities prioritize protecting their water catchment areas. This involves monitoring and managing land use to prevent contamination from agriculture, industry, or urban development. Protecting groundwater and surface water sources ensures the raw water entering their treatment systems is of high quality.
- Advanced Water Treatment Processes: They employ state-of-the-art filtration, disinfection (often using chlorine or UV), and sometimes additional steps like activated carbon filtration to remove contaminants, pathogens, and improve taste and odor. These treatments help meet strict regulatory standards for drinking water quality.
- Continuous Monitoring and Testing: The water is regularly tested at multiple points—from source through treatment to distribution—to detect any deviations in quality parameters like microbial content, chemical pollutants, and physical characteristics. This monitoring allows for rapid response to any issues that arise.
- Modern Infrastructure and Maintenance: Both Stadtwerke maintain and invest in modern pipelines, reservoirs, and treatment plants. Preventive maintenance and timely upgrades reduce leaks, contamination risks, and supply interruptions.
- Redundancy and Emergency Planning: To ensure continuous supply, they design their systems with redundancies, such as backup pumps, multiple source options, and emergency storage facilities. Emergency response plans are in place to handle unexpected events like contamination or infrastructure failure.
- Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship: Efforts to use water efficiently and sustainably help preserve resources long-term, which in turn supports the ongoing availability of high-quality water.
By combining rigorous source protection, advanced treatment, comprehensive monitoring, infrastructure investment, and emergency preparedness, Stadtwerke Solingen and Stadtwerke Haan effectively provide a reliable supply of high-quality drinking water to their communities.
Future Investments in Quality
Stadtwerke Solingen aims to maintain and even improve the quality of their drinking water from the Glüder waterworks through future investments. The gentle management of the drinking water protection zone around the reservoir is one of many measures ensuring the excellent quality of the drinking water. Long-term cooperation with farmers around the Sengbach reservoir regarding the management of areas and use of seeds and fertilizers contributes to drinking water protection.
Continuous monitoring of various water parameters is carried out by the employees of the Glüder waterworks and the accredited drinking water laboratory of Stadtwerke Solingen. These efforts ensure that the high-quality drinking water supply will continue to meet the needs of the residents of Haan for years to come.
The extended contract between Stadtwerke Solingen and Stadtwerke Haan ensures the continued high-quality drinking water supply for Haan's residents, with annual supply of approximately 1.8 million cubic meters of drinking water from sources like Sengbach and Großer Dhünntalsperre reservoirs.
The high-quality supply is maintained through various measures, including source protection, advanced water treatment processes, continuous monitoring and testing, modern infrastructure and maintenance, redundancy and emergency planning, and sustainability efforts. Future investments by Stadtwerke Solingen aim to maintain and improve the quality, such as through the gentle management of the drinking water protection zone around the reservoir and continuous monitoring by the employees of the Glüder waterworks.
