Quality management at Ruhrverband
The Ruhrverband's core tasks are to secure the water supply in the Ruhr region and to treat the wastewater produced in the Ruhr catchment area. To ensure the consistently high quality of its work, the Ruhrverband applies strict standards to its organisational structure and processes.
We attach great importance to maintaining quality assurance at the highest level in our entire catchment area. This is reflected in our comprehensive commitment in our diverse business areas. Through regular inspections and certifications, we ensure that our technical systems and processes continuously meet high standards. We pay attention to sustainable solutions and continuous optimisation in order to guarantee a reliable supply and environmental compatibility. Our commitment to quality is reflected in the continuous development and satisfaction of our members.
Components of our quality management:
Quality seal for wastewater treatment plants
The Ruhrverband's water quality division has been TSM-certified since June 2010. Technical Safety Management (TSM), developed by the DWA, systematically checks the structural and process organisation as well as technical safety.
During audits, DWA experts also involved the employees on site in the review. The implementation of the TSM took around a year and was prepared by an internal team of employees. All wastewater treatment plants, rainwater treatment plants, pumping stations, sewers and pressurised pipelines were inspected to ensure uniform standards.
The certification confirms the efficiency of the Ruhrverband's water quality division, which offers safe and economical wastewater disposal with qualified employees and good technical equipment.
The first re-certification in 2015 was followed by a successful audit by the DWA in 2021, which confirms that the TSM remains firmly anchored in the Ruhrverband's day-to-day work. The next inspection is scheduled for 2024.
Seal of quality for the dams
In November 2011, the Ruhrverband was the first dam operator in Germany to receive confirmation of the successful inspection of its Technical Safety Management (TSM). This TSM audit in the area of dams and reservoirs was a pilot project of the German Association for Water and Wastewater (DWA).
In December 2016, Ruhrverband once again became the first dam operator in Germany to pass the TSM retest, which was again passed without any restrictions.
The voluntary certification process evaluates the structure and organisation of technical processes as well as the qualifications of employees. The external assessors emphasised that the requirements of the DWA Code of Practice on "Requirements for the qualification and organisation of dam operators" are not only formally fulfilled in the Ruhrverband's business area, but are also convincingly implemented in terms of content.
Qualified technical safety management is an ongoing task that guarantees consistently high quality and security of supply.
A systematic energy management system (EnMS) is crucial for continuously increasing energy efficiency in companies. Ruhrverband operates an EnMS that complies with the international ISO standard DIN 50001, but has dispensed with costly certification since 2019.
The EnMS improves contribution stability and creates financial leeway through cost savings. It identifies potential energy savings, reduces operating costs and optimises workflows by influencing organisational and technical processes as well as behaviour. This leads to a reduction in overall energy consumption and a continuous improvement in energy efficiency.
The energy management system systematically records energy flows and supports investment decisions on energy efficiency. It ensures that the obligations of the energy policy are met and improves energy performance through a structured approach. The EnMS comprises all necessary organisational and informational structures and tools and regulates planning, implementation, monitoring, control and internal audits as well as regular reviews by management.
The cooperation laboratory of the Ruhrverband, the Emschergenossenschaft and the Lippeverbands has successfully completed the re-accreditation process in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018. In July 2020, the Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS), the national accreditation body of the Federal Republic of Germany, issued the certificate stating that the cooperation laboratory has the competence to carry out physical, physico-chemical and chemical analyses of water (wastewater, surface water and groundwater) in the specialist module water.
Ruhrverband has been a recognised test centre for flow measurements in accordance with the Self-Monitoring Ordinance for Municipalities (SüwV-kom NRW) since 2006. Its expertise and specialist knowledge was confirmed by the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection on 6 February 2024 for a further five years, which enables the unrestricted use of all measurement methods. In addition to tests at its own wastewater treatment plants, the testing centre also carries out orders for external wastewater treatment plants and offers throttle tests and pump performance measurements.
A quality assurance manual guarantees standardised processes and consistent test quality. Mobile testing equipment enables the testing of common measuring systems in wastewater treatment plants, including weirs and flow meters. The test centre's many years of experience ensure reliable testing of measuring equipment. Enquiries about test orders can be sent by email to q-pruefstelle@ruhrverband.de.
As a forest owner, Ruhrverband has been certified according to PEFC standards since 2002. PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) is an independent control system that verifies sustainable forest management according to national standards - a kind of "forest MOT" on a global level.
The certification is based on strict guidelines that are monitored by independent organisations and ensures that the wood comes from forests that are managed in an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable manner.
The PEFC logo documents the Ruhrverband's commitment to forest protection and confirms sustainable management. Products with the PEFC seal guarantee that the entire production chain - from the raw material to the end product - is certified and controlled.
Tradition and expertise
The Ruhrverband's catchment area is heavily characterised by industry and commerce, whose production wastewater affects the wastewater treatment plants. We have been supporting industrial companies in the construction and operation of chemical-physical wastewater pre-treatment plants since the 1960s. Today, the focus is on topics such as modern wastewater technology, authorisation procedures and micropollutants.
The protection of water bodies requires close co-operation between in-house pre-treatment and final biological treatment by the Ruhrverband. Involving the Ruhrverband early on in the approval process helps to avoid planning errors and to achieve the goal - clean water - economically.
It is important for us to work in partnership with those responsible for wastewater at the companies. In the event of problems with wastewater pre-treatment or incidents, we are a reliable point of contact to prevent damage to water ecology. Both sides benefit: Industrial companies through more efficient processes, the Ruhrverband through the reduction of problematic substances.
Micropollutants, such as perfluorinated chemicals or benzotriazoles, are a growing issue. The Ruhrverband supports industry in minimising these substances. Using the example of the compound tetraoxaspiro(5,5)-undecane (TOSU), it can be impressively demonstrated that as a result of the measures taken at the "source", the concentrations in the Ruhr are no longer noticeable.
Your contacts:
Regional area North
Industrial consultant Frederic Graf
02931 551-161
fga@ruhrverband.de
Regional Area South
Industrial Advisor Matthias Föste
02391 598-134
mfs@ruhrverband.de
Regional Area West
0201 178-2110
info@ruhrverband.de
The IME (Maintenance Management for Mechanical and Electrical Engineering) department of the Ruhrverband has once again been certified as a specialised welding company. The certification, which is carried out in several audits, places particular emphasis on a number of points such as the equipment of the operational facilities, the manual skills and technical knowledge of the welders and the expertise and specialist knowledge of the welding supervisors.
The background to the repeated certification as a specialised welding company is the aim of ensuring the high quality standard of the Ruhrverband in the areas of pipeline and tank construction as well as general steel construction for the wastewater treatment facilities. As high-quality steel grades are often used and the quality of the weld seams must be excellent due to the high corrosive load, these quality standards are of great importance to Ruhrverband. This is the only way to guarantee the long-term reliability of the plant components. The specified welding requirements and their implementation are followed both for the construction of new wastewater treatment plants and for repair work on existing plant components
Sustainable mobility management at Ruhrverband
Ruhrverband was one of eight companies from the Ruhr region to take part in the Mobil.Pro.Fit. project, which is subsidised by the Federal Ministry for the Environment. The aim of the project is to optimise company mobility management, strengthen environmental and climate protection and reduce mobility costs. The Ruhr area cities of Bochum, Bottrop, Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Herten are supporting companies in developing practical measures to improve the mobility of their employees.
Mobility is an essential basis for entrepreneurial activity, but it also leads to considerableCO2 and pollutant emissions. In Germany, 19 per cent ofCO2 emissions are attributed to the transport sector; in the Ruhr region, transport accounts for 29 per cent of NOx emissions. Business-related transport such as business trips and employees' journeys to work also play a role.
The Mobil.Pro.Fit. project combines ecological and economic benefits: Companies benefit from lower mobility costs, while an increase in the choice of transport promotes employee loyalty, motivation and health. In addition to cost savings, the focus is also on reducing environmental pollution and promoting sustainable modes of transport.
The Ruhr region is one of eleven regions across Germany in which Mobil.Pro.Fit. is being implemented. Here, cities, business development organisations, chambers of industry and commerce and transport companies work together to help participating companies develop sensible mobility strategies.