To improve the resilience of public water supply to extreme events, the TrinkXtrem research project developed four software tools and nine methods and concepts which were applied in model regions. The entire water supply process chain, from raw water intake to drinking water distribution, was addressed.
Extreme meteorological events such as prolonged dry periods pose challenges for public water supply in Germany. Extreme events impact the entire water supply chain. For example, the amount of water resources available for water treatment decreases during dry periods, while simultaneously the demand for drinking water increases. During dry periods, the quality of raw water typically deteriorates. For example, in river waters, the proportion of wastewater increases with decreasing discharge. Even near-surface groundwater can be impaired if cracks form during dry periods, allowing surface water to enter during heavy rainfall. Waterworks require treatment processes that can adapt to changing raw water conditions. For distributing water distribution, the pipe network must be resilient to increased consumer demand. Due to the local nature of water supplies, the impacts of extreme events on individual water suppliers could be site-specific.
The TrinkXtrem project developed operational strategies for the public water supply to respond to extreme events in a scientifically sound and proactive manner. The project focused on the quality and quantity of raw water, plant operation management, drinking water demand forecasting, and dynamic pricing models. The development of risk and prevention concepts was also considered in the project. The studies were primarily conducted on the project partners' large-scale water supply systems.
Five videos present selected results in an easy-to-understand format. The videos can be viewed on the project website or on YouTube.
The project consortium includes ten partners and five associated partners. The water companies participating in the project supply approximately 10 percent of Germany's population with drinking water.
TrinkXtrem Videoseries - Trinkwasser und Extremereignisse:
Video 1: Menge und Qualität ändern sich - aber wie? (in German, English subtitles available)
> Link to the video 1 on youtube
Video 2: Wasserressourcen – wie Wasserwerke ihre Bewirtschaftung optimieren (in German, English subtitles available)
> Link to the video 2 on youtube
Video 3: Prognosen und Preise - wie der Wasserbedarf mit Data Mining und KI gesteuert werden kann (in German, English subtitles available)
> Link to the video 3 on youtube
Video 4: Risikomanagement und Vorsorgekonzepte an Extremwetterereignisse anpassen (in German, English subtitles available)
> Link to the video 4 on youtube
Video 5: Lösungsoptionen für die Praxis (in German, English subtitles available)
> Link to the video 5 on youtube
