Water crisis in Dettelbach: Students design innovative solution!

Water crisis in Dettelbach: Students design innovative solution!

Dettelbach, Deutschland - water, a precious asset, is rare, especially in Dettelbach! At the renowned Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, a groundbreaking water use concept by students under the direction of Hans Kolb was developed and presented by Luise Jungkunst. She warns urgently: the water shortage is reinforced by increasingly hot summer, mild winter and extreme weather events, whereby the average temperatures could increase by 1.5 to 2.1 degrees by 2050, even with unchanged rainfall!

The students carried out extensive studies in the watercourses, recorded withdrawal points and analyzed the processes of the sewage treatment plant. The sobering balance sheet: low evaporation and weak groundwater recovery are opposed to an alarming high surface water drainage. After all, Mainwasser, waste water and rainwater can be used - a creative approach to solving the water crisis!

innovative measures for water management

Dettelbach, a city in the dry south, has an annual average of precipitation, which is significantly behind the national average. The students recommend targeted infiltration, the greening of roofs and facades as well as the removal of areas in order to let more water penetrate into the ground again. In addition, public and private green spaces should be strengthened that can survive even in dry times. Mayor Matthias Bielek praises the concept as professional and well -founded, but the permits for the use of the main water remain questionable. Kolb warns: The degree of pollution is opposed to approval!

The demand for a fourth cleaning level for the sewage treatment plant is supported by Eva-Maria Weimann, but she warns that the removal from flowing waters should be avoided. With the optimization of water consumption, there are further challenges - climate change strikes mercilessly! Suitable funding programs for urban planning renovations and environmental initiatives can help. Bielek would like more intensive cooperation with the university to protect the water resources of this region sustainably and use it efficiently.