

The sustainable protection of water resources is the first pillar in the multi-barrier system for a safe drinking water supply. We therefore focus our research projects on managing hazards and risks in water catchment areas. This concerns groundwater and spring waters as well as rivers, bank filtrates, lakes and reservoirs. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), various state ministries, the EU, the DVGW and water utility companies support the national and international practical research projects. In general, water supply companies or local authority districts are involved in the projects as practice partners as well as pilot or model areas.
Security and safety in drinking water supply
We develop new risk management concepts in water supply according to DIN EN 15975-2 and consider how the WSP (Water safety Plan) concept of the World Health Organisation (WHO) can be implemented for Germany’s water supply in practice and in line with regulations. From the catchment area to the distribution point, all process steps are analysed to assess the criticality of water supply systems.
Management of raw water resources
We develop innovative solution and planning tools for the risk management of water protection areas and using models, we investigate the impact of climate change on the water supply. New approaches to clarify the hydrochemical process should help to better understand the contamination sources of geogenic or anthropogenic pollutants and micropollutants such as chromate and pesticide metabolites as well as microorganisms. This knowledge can be incorporated in the management of raw water resources.
Agriculture and groundwater protection
High nitrate concentrations in the groundwater or watercourse pollution by pesticides are a result of intensive agriculture. We explore the boundary conditions that lead to pollution and how contamination can be reduced. This generates new strategies to control emissions and success in groundwater protection and concepts for soil monitoring. By means of field trials, lab trials and model calculations we simulate the transfer, for example of nitrate and micropollutants into the groundwater. We investigate how cleaning up polluted groundwater can be achieved by using certain agricultural practices.
Bioenergy and water resource protection
Biomass generation is often viewed critically from a water protection perspective. We investigate the sustainability of biomass cultivation and the potential to sustainably produce biogas as well as the use of waste materials for biogas generation. Our research into watercourse protection focuses particularly on the output of fermentation residues.
Projects
The revision of nitrate comtaminated areas (so-called "Rote Gebiete") is currently the subject of debate. In some areas, farmers and water suppliers…
Read moreTo investigate the increasing spatio-temporal variability of groundwater recharge in the future, both locally and regionally, and its specific effects…
Read moreIn order to counteract future negative impacts of extreme weather events on the water quality of stream waters, practical prevention and management…
Read moreIn these days, climate neutrality is becoming a major topic and is also gaining importance in the drinking water supply sector. In the project,…
Read moreThe effects of climate change on the quality of raw water resources were investigated. In addition to the vulnerabilities of the various water…
Read moreClimate change has arrived in Germany and poses new challenges for water suppliers. WatDEMAND analysed which impacts climate change will have on water…
Read moreLange, F. T.; Sturm, S. et al. (2018): Minimierungsstrategie für den PSM-Metaboliten-Eintrag ins Grundwasser. Veröffentlichungen aus dem DVGW-Technologiezentrum Wasser Karlsruhe [Strategy to minimise PSM metabolites entering groundwater. Publications from the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water] (TZW) 2018 (84).
Gottwalt, J.; Abecker, A.; Brauer, F.; Fischer, T.; Riepl, D.; Rojas, V.; Sturm, S. (2018): Designing a Web-Based Application for Process-Oriented Risk Management of Drinking-Water Catchments According to the Water Safety Plan Approach. In: H.-J. Bungartz, D. Kranzlmüller, V. Weinberg, J. Weismüller, V. Wohlgemuth (ed.): Advances and New Trends in Environmental Informatics - Managing Disruption, Big Data and Open Science. Progress in IS. Springer
Sturm, S.; Villinger, F.; Kiefer, J. (2016): Neuer Ansatz zum Risikomanagement für Talsperren-Einzugsgebiete - Teil 1 [New approach for the risk management of reservoir catchments - Part 1]. In: energie|wasser-praxis, DVGW, No. 5, Part 2. In: energie|wasser-praxis, DVGW, No. 6/7
Sturm S., Fischer T., Kiefer J, Remmler F., Borgmann A. (2016): Entwicklung eines Datenbankbasierten Systems zur Gefährdungsanalyse in Wassereinzugsgebieten (DBBS) [Development of a database-supported system for the risk analysis in water catchment areas]. p. 13-24. In: TZW (DVGW-Technologiezentrum Wasser, Karlsruhe; ed., 2016): Präventives Risikomanagement in der Trinkwasserversorgung.
Abschlussbericht zum BMBF-Forschungsvorhaben PRiMaT [Preventative risk management for drinking water supply. Final report on the BMBF research project PRiMAT] (Fkz. 02WRS1279A to 02WRS1279, Publications from the Technology Centre Water, 74, ISSN: 1434-5765
Schmoll, O.; Bethmann, D.; Sturm, S.; Schnabel, B. (2014): Das Water-Safety-Plan-Konzept für kleine Wasserversorgungen in Deutschland: Ein Handbuch zur praktischen Umsetzung [The Water Safety Plan concept for small water supply companies in Germany: A manual for its practical implementation]. ed. by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and DVGW-Technologiezentrum Wasser (TZW). Dessau-Roßlau. http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/das-water-safety-plan-konzept-fuer-kleine-wasserversorgungen.
Erler R.; Ball T.; Kiefer J.; Dresen B.; Köppel W. (2013): Nachhaltige Biogasbereitstellung in Deutschland [Sustainable biogas provision in Germany]. DVGW energie|wasser-praxis 04/2013, 84-87
Kiefer J., Ball T., Rhode K., Selz M., Schrempp S., Müller-Sämann K. (2013): Entwicklung einer neuen Strategie zur Emissions- und Erfolgskontrolle im Grundwasserschutz [Development of a new strategy to monitor emissions and success in groundwater protection]. 44. AWBR annual report 2012; AWBR