Summer cycle tour brings future projects to life

Winterberg/Essen. As part of the first stage of this year’s summer cycle tour, the Ruhrverband today presented its programme for modernising
water quality management infrastructure. By 2040, the association will significantly increase its investment in the renewal and expansion of wastewater treatment facilities and further develop its sewage treatment plant infrastructure to ensure it is fit for the future. A concrete example of this approach is the planned connection of the Winterberg-Niedersfeld sewage treatment works to the Bestwig-Velmede sewage treatment works – one of the projects that participants in the summer cycle tour were able to see for themselves on site.

With the completion of an investment programme worth around 1.5 billion euros in 2005, a phase of consolidation began for the Ruhrverband. Debt reduction, operational optimisations, staff adjustments, targeted reinvestments and the expansion of in-house energy generation have sustainably strengthened the association’s economic foundation. This development is now paving the way for a new phase of renewal.

Most of the Ruhrverband’s sewage treatment works are now between 25 and 35 years old and are therefore reaching a stage where extensive renewal investments are required. The aim is to ensure the long-term maintenance of the high performance of mechanical and biological wastewater treatment, as well as sewage sludge recovery, whilst at the same time tapping into further potential for efficiency gains.

Added to this are new legal requirements for municipal wastewater treatment, arising, amongst other things, from the EU’s new Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and the Sewage Sludge Ordinance. These include, amongst other things, the expansion of sewage treatment works to include a fourth treatment stage for the removal of trace substances, phosphorus recovery and innovative methods of sewage sludge treatment. These developments present significant opportunities for technical innovation and economic synergies. At the same time, uncertainties remain, particularly with regard to financing.

In order to tackle the tasks ahead, the Ruhrverband is systematically expanding its in-house expertise and is currently developing a long-term asset strategy running until 2040. This is intended to make the renewal of infrastructure more predictable and to manage investments over the long term. The annual investment requirement is set to rise from the current figure of around 50 to 60 million euros to approximately 100 to 130 million euros in future.

A key component of the strategy is the further development of the sewage treatment plant sites. By 2040, the number of sewage treatment plants operated by the Ruhrverband is to be reduced from the current 67 to around 50. Larger, more efficient plants can be operated more cost-effectively whilst being equipped with modern treatment technology. This will further improve water protection, particularly in smaller and sensitive watercourses.

“The spirit of solidarity among our members has supported the Ruhrverband in the past and will also make the forthcoming investments possible. Our aim is to ensure a high standard of water protection in the long term, whilst managing the development of membership fees in a responsible and balanced manner,” emphasises Prof. Christoph Donner, Chairman of the Ruhrverband’s Executive Board.

One example of the implementation of this strategy is the planned decommissioning of the Winterberg-Niedersfeld sewage treatment plant. In future, the wastewater generated there is to be channelled to the Bestwig-Velmede sewage treatment plant and treated there. This requires the construction of a connecting sewer. An initial section of pipeline, approximately 900 metres long, between the Winterberg-Niedersfeld sewage treatment plant and Haus Wildenstein is currently under construction. The works have been combined with the refurbishment of the Ruhr Valley Cycle Route, thereby capitalising on existing synergies. The remainder of the pipeline route is currently at the planning stage. Before the connection is fully completed, extensive measures are required within the catchment area of the Bestwig-Velmede sewage treatment plant. These include, amongst other things, the reduction of extraneous water, the widening of existing sewer cross-sections and a complete overhaul of the integrated drainage plan, including a pollutant load model. Given the size of the catchment area, optimised sewer network management will also be able to make
a significant contribution to water protection in future.

At the same time, the Ruhrverband is planning to renovate and expand the Bestwig-Velmede sewage treatment plant to include a fourth treatment stage. The additional volume of wastewater from Winterberg expected in future has already been taken into account in these plans. Through this project, the Association is combining the modernisation of its infrastructure with the requirements of sustainable and effective water protection.