Drinking Water in Germany: A Case Study of High Quality Drinking Water - Global Drinking Water Management and Conservation - page 255

Fig. 12.4 Water consumption in Germany (1990 - 2009) (Reproduced from ATT et al. 2011)

consumption and to the amount of pollution attributable to water users, (c) instal-
lation of water meters and water-saving sanitary facilities, as well as the use of water-
saving household appliances and fittings, and (d) better consumer awareness (Althoff

2007 ). Moreover, the water supply utilities are permanently in contact with their
customers through their customer and information centers to inform their customers
about responsible water use, water quality, and pricing. Furthermore, increasing use
of rainwater for watering the garden and toilet

flushing, and for agricultural use
through drip irrigation, has also reduced the need for treated water. In the industrial
sector, the reasons for the decrease in water consumption are (a) the application of
resource-friendly production processes, (b) a decrease in water purchases, and (c) an
increase of its own water production. In Germany, industry makes up 96 percent of
its water demand by its own production (Althoff 2007 ).

12.4 Development of Wastewater Treatment in Germany

12.4.1 The History of Wastewater Treatment in Germany

With rapid industrialisation and urbanization in Germany, wastewater has been a
concern since the second half of the nineteenth century (Seeger 1999 ). In order to
meet the requirements of wastewater treatment, the development of wastewater
treatment technology in Germany has made steady progress. It started in the late
nineteenth century with mechanical

- biological treatment applications in agricul-

tural fields (Seeger 1999 ). Before the First World War, sludge digestion in special

digestion tanks became the standard for the larger urban sewage plants, and then
artificial biological treatment with high-loaded trickling filter was introduced into
some sewage plants. After the end of the Second World War, full biological
treatment became the main goal for urban wastewater treatment, and the activated
sludge process became the dominant method of treatment in the 1950s.