Overview

• The seven-meter-deep, 25-meter-long trench at Johannisthal serves as an experimental conduit for pretreated rain and river water to infiltrate the aquifer.
• Brief pretreatment boosts dissolved oxygen levels and sustains microbial activity in the subsurface trench, enhancing removal of iron, manganese and other trace contaminants.
• The pilot processes around ten cubic meters per hour, but treated water is currently redirected to the Teltow Canal instead of entering Berlin’s drinking supply.
• The €3 million “TrinkWave” project unites Berliner Wasserbetriebe, TU München, Universität Oldenburg, private firm BGS and federal research funding under a shared feasibility study.
• Full project results are expected next year, with site selection and potential scale-up over the next five to ten years if feasibility is confirmed.