Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
development of wastewater treatment technology in Germany. In addition, the
safety of water supply and disposal relies on continual investment in maintenance
and renewal of the infrastructure. In Germany, all investment costs are included in
prices and charges.
The presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs, or mi-
cropollutants) originating in wastewater that typically end up in surface waters that
themselves are a source of drinking water has become an issue of global concern.
However, the level of wastewater treatment in parts of Europe has been exemplary,
and accordingly Sect. 12.5 covers how the problem of micropollutants is handled in
the Netherlands, the USA, and Germany.
In Sect. 12.6 , we explore the cost structure of water supply and wastewater
discharge, and in Sect. 12.7 we discuss water pricing in Germany. Section 12.8
shows the important effects of benchmarking in the water industry, leading to a
signi
cant improvement of water supply security, water quality, and sustainability
in Germany. Finally, we compare the German Maximum Concentration Levels
(MCLs) for drinking water with those of Ontario in Sect. 12.9 .
12.2 Drinking Water Supply
12.2.1 Introduction to Drinking Water Utilities in Germany
In Germany, around 99 percent of the population is served by public water supply
from over 6,200 water utilities, while about 700,000 citizens are supplied with water
from private sources such as those assigned to private houses or villages (ATT et al.
2011 ). Of the total of 6,200 water utilities, approximately 3,500 are public utilities and
the remainder are private businesses (see Fig. 12.1 ). Most utilities, in particular the
smallest ones, are owned by municipalities as a single service or as part of a multi-
service municipality, where the small utilities provide only 25 percent of the water by
volume (Althoff 2007 ). In Germany both public companies and private companies are
involved in public water supply. These companies can be subdivided into mixed
public
companies, water and soil associations,
special-purpose associations, municipal companies, as well as other
private companies,
public-law
-
companies (Althoff 2007 ). According to data from the German Association of Energy
and Water Industries, in 2008, the larger volume of drinking water was provided by
private companies, which made up 64 percent of the total water volume, while public
companies provided 36 percent of the water volume (see Fig. 12.1 ).
In Germany, water supply and wastewater management are the responsibilities
of municipalities or other public corporations (Bauby 2011 ). The Drinking Water
Ordinance of the Federal Ministry of Health governs the quality of drinking water,
and it is enforced at L
private-law
nder level (BMU 2014 ). Under the Drinking Water Ordi-
nance, drinking water is monitored regularly at short intervals and complies with
strict quality requirements. In 2010, even Nitrate concentration, the most prob-
lematic parameter, now complies with the limit value of 50 mg/L (BMU 2014 ).
ä
Search WWH ::




Custom Search