Seven wells in use: This is how water is obtained in Freising
Created: 06/08/2022, 17:00
By: Manuel Eser
The source: In addition to the flat well in the photo, Freising's drinking water is obtained from six other wells in Vötting.
Water manager Florian Neumeier, water engineer Matthias Weidner and fitter Peter Sedlmeier (from right) ensure a smooth supply.
In the background: the waterworks.
© Lehmann
Seven wells supply the people of Freising with drinking water.
Experts report how extraction works and what is important for future generations.
Freising
– Welcome to a place that normal mortals are actually not allowed to enter.
With these words, the FT is received by a delegation from Freisinger Stadtwerke in Zone 1 of the drinking water protection area.
Here, behind a lattice fence, is the source of life for the city of Freising on an area of 1.5 hectares in Vötting.
Seven wells bring 9,000 cubic meters of water to the surface every day, which flows at the other end of the pipes through the taps of 50,000 residents, small and large businesses.
"It's fun to be part of the water family," says Florian Neumeier, who has been water manager at Stadtwerke since 2016.
"But it is also a big job to ensure a smooth water supply of first-class quality." Water engineer Matthias Weidner is also fascinated by his job.
“It is perhaps the biggest topic of the future.
I want to take responsibility for ensuring that water is also secured for the next generation.
That is an immense challenge and planning responsibility.”
The United Nations has been warning of drinking water shortages for a long time, saying that the extent of waste is threatening.
Countries hit by particularly high heat are sending SOS for supplies.
But you don't have to look as far as Africa.
Drought in Italy, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, water deficits in Franconia.
The FT took these alarm reports as an opportunity to ask: How is the safe water supply in Freising – now and in the future?
The "iron reserve" slumbers deep down
The good news: "In Freising we are in the fortunate situation that we do not suffer from water shortages," emphasizes Neumeier.
"Nevertheless, we are careful with the resource." Every year, the public utilities invest millions in maintaining the pipe networks and modernizing the infrastructure.
"We repeatedly carry out pipe network inspections to look for leaks in order to keep losses as low as possible," explains Neumeier.
"In addition, modern control and regulation technology ensures that as little electricity as possible is consumed." Everything is now computer-controlled.
However, manual operation can also be switched to in an emergency.
In the well: An electronic pump sucks in the water, as Matthias Weidner (left) and Florian Neumeier explain and demonstrate.
© Lehmann
Seven wells guarantee the water supply in Freising.
The three shallow wells pump near-surface water between 3.70 and 17 meters deep.
Four deep wells tap the water supply, which is between 65 and 85 meters and has been in the ground for a much longer time.
This Tertiary water is between 4,000 and 7,000 years old, explains Weidner.
"This is our iron reserve."
(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)
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The water that comes out of the consumers' taps consists – calculated over the year – only about one third of deep water, two thirds come from shallow wells.
"Our goal is to use as much water near the surface as possible in order to save the other water," explains Neumeier.
An electric pump installed in the well sucks in the water and delivers it to the waterworks with the necessary pressure.
Protection zone 1 is the most sensitive place
Areas in which drinking water is pumped are specially protected.
Everything that could jeopardize quality is prohibited or clearly regulated by conditions.
Protection zone 1 contains the wells and is not accessible to the public as it is a particularly sensitive area.
In protection zone II, neither liquid manure, liquid manure nor solid manure may be spread, while in zone 3, needs-based and site-specific fertilization is possible.
West Tangent: The big street in the water protection area
It was a major political issue: the Freising west ring road, which was opened to traffic at the beginning of 2022.
Finally, the major road runs through the northwestern edge of the water protection area, known as Outer Zone IIIA.
The road is in the downstream area, i.e. with a view of the flow direction of the groundwater behind the well, which protects it from ingress.
"Nevertheless, precautions were taken to keep road dirt and road salt away from the groundwater," said Nina Reitz, spokeswoman for the public utility company.
"The surface water is collected and diverted so that nothing seeps away within the drinking water protection area."
The groundwater flowing here must be protected against constant and temporary ingress of substances from road traffic - and of course also against water-polluting substances that could escape in the event of accidents.
In the event of an accident, the water management office is responsible and informs the public utility of any measures that may need to be taken.
In order to protect the groundwater, the RiStwag specifications were applied during construction: the guidelines for structural measures on roads in water protection areas.
The Free State is responsible for them.
For example, the construction of sports facilities, allotment gardens and cemeteries is prohibited in all protection zones.
Building areas may not be designated.
With the exception of agricultural tillage, the soil surface must not be dug up.
"The Freising drinking water protection area consists - as is common practice - of three protection zones in which different restrictions apply," explains Neumeier.
“After all, drinking water is our most important food.
It shall be pure and wholesome.”
Protected space: In order to keep the drinking water as pure as possible, the area around the waterworks is surrounded by three protected zones.
The innermost ring, Zone I, is the most sensitive area and is not accessible to the public.
© Freisinger Stadtwerke
But the public utility company is not only concerned with ensuring that the water is safe.
“Water supplies of the same quantity and quality should also be available to future generations at low cost,” emphasizes plant manager Andreas Voigt.
It is all the more important to keep the water supply in municipal hands as a service of general interest.
"The water supply must not look at short-term gains," Voigt clarifies.
His firm conviction: “We have to think about how we deal with water resources on a longer time scale.
Only the public sector can ensure long-term and therefore sustainable management of the water protection areas.”