2005 - 2006 - Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2012

GERMANY PART 2: COUNTRY ANALYSIS
Inland water quality
Western Länder 1985
La – Very Good 6.5%
Lb – Good 38.0%
II – fair 40.0%
III – Poor 14.0%
IV-bad 1.5%
The rivers Ruhr and Rhine are considered problem areas. In addition, the Elbe, Wesser and Main are
Class III/IV in their lower reaches. The Rhine Action Plan (1987) sought to improve the Rhine to
Class I or II quality by 2000. The systematic examination of groundwater quality started in 1984.
There are rising nitrate and phosphate levels, while a number of sources have been closed as a result
of excess PAH concentrations. Systematic data on the Eastern Länder is currently being collected. It
is fair to say that water quality and infrastructure are appreciably below those in the Western Länder.
For example, in Brandenburg, 34% of rivers have water quality of I-II, 45% of II/III and 18% of III/IV.
The water in the former GDR is of a poor quality as only 20% of surface water can be used for
drinking water abstraction within reasonable efforts of purification.
Freshwater
Total (1998, km 3 ) 96.0
Per capita (1998, m 3 ) 1,165
Withdrawals (1991, km 3 ) 47.3
For domestic use (1991) 11
For industry (1991) 70
For agriculture (1991) 20
Compliance and upgrading forecasts
In 2003, the German association of towns and parishes, the DStGB stated that it believed the
upgrading of Germany’s water and wastewater system will require investment of about €75 billion
over the next 10 years. This is in contrast to figures of €150-300 billion for sewerage and wastewater
alone that have been the accepted norm since the 1990s. This perhaps reflects the work carried out
to date as well as the savings that can be made when examining costs more closely.
It has been found that private sector operators can significantly undercut assumed costs. The VpA
was established in 1992 as an association of private sewerage operating companies. They have
studied 200 projects across Germany and concluded that costs for developing facilities could fall by
15-40% when submitted to private tender. VpA found that conversion work for extant facilities can be
carried out for DM250 per capita against previous assumptions of DM450-600 per capita.
Investment in infrastructure
€billion 2000 2001 2002 2003
Water 2.36 2.44 2.28 2.56
Wastewater 6.84 6.85 N/A 6.00
Total 9.20 9.29 N/A 8.56
The cost for the customer
Water production has fallen by 28% 1990-2002, with an average water fee of €1.77 per m³. Water
utilisation was 130L per day in 2003. In 2003, wastewater charges were €2.28 per m 3 against 2.18
per m³ in 2000.
1990 2001
Water sales (million m 3 ) 5,985 4,785
Price per m³ 1.18 1.70
Source: Ministerium für Verbraucherschutz
97 Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2005 – 2006