A glance into the past
1894
The biological wastewater utilisation began in Braunschweig with the construction of the absorption fields at the monastery Steinhof (ground filtration), to the north of the city. The area covers around 460 hectares and can absorb a water quantity of 10,000 cubic metres per day. The population of Braunschweig was approximately 100,000 at this time.
Privy in the Burgmühlengraben in Braunschweig, 1892
1946
Due to the heavy increase in the population of Braunschweig, the absorption fields were no longer sufficient for the purification of the constantly increasing amounts of waste water. Large quantities of waste water flowed untreated into the River Oker.
1953
The City of Braunschweig concluded the reorganisation of its wastewater disposal within the framework of the measures concerning pollution control in public waters initiated by the federal and regional authorities. Due to the insufficient capacity of the absorption fields and the resulting urgency concerning a solution for the wastewater problem, the wastewater utilisation area had to be enlarged. The construction of a new pumping facility with mechanical primary clarification was also necessary. The propagated method of agricultural utilisation of the wastewater via irrigation necessitated a new organisational structure.
1954
The development of the new organisational structure was concluded with the establishment of the Abwasserverband Braunschweig on 30th November, 1954. The founder members were the City of Braunschweig and the property owners of the irrigation regions I and II.
1955
The operational area was increased to the present size of 4,300 hectares through the addition of the irrigation regions III and IV. 550 property owners expressed their willingness to act mutually.
1955 – 1966
In this period, the four irrigation regions each received an irrigation pumping station. Today, we have an irrigation pipe network of approx. 107 kilometres in length.
Pumping station I during building, 1956
1955 – 1979
During this time, irrigation was carried out using water which had only been mechanically purified. This resulted in major odour problems in the irrigation areas. Solving the problem of odour elimination was existential for the Association at that time.
Wastewater irrigation, 1957
1979
For the purpose of odour reduction, a primary treatment facility with mechanical and biological purification was brought into operation at the Steinhof location. The odour problem was thereby solved. The primary treatment facility was enlarged until 1991 to become a fully-biological treatment plant.
1985 – 1991
Up until the year 1990, the old absorption fields were reconstructed to form a biological secondary purification facility. In 1991, the “meander system” was introduced as a new purification process in the absorption operation. In this system, the clear water is forwarded in a horizontal passage through a river-like process so that, over a flow length of several kilometres, the biological secondary purification is carried out.
Maender system
2000
In the year 2000, the treatment plant was complemented by a sludge digester.
2007
In order to enable the utilisation of the energy plants cultivated in the irrigation areas, thereby creating additional value for the members of the Association and the residents/inhabitants, a biogas plant was constructed in Hillerse.
Biogas plant
2016 – 2019
Construction of process water treatment and sludge disintegration (project „KlärWert“)
October 2019
Inauguration project „KlärWert“
