Protection of drinking water catchment areas and water protection zones from the inflow of contaminated groundwater

The protection of drinking water and sensitive water protection zones is the focus of our work. As a specialized in-situ remediation company, we develop solutions designed to safeguard groundwater resources in the long term and reliably prevent the introduction of contaminants. In Central Europe, a large portion of drinking water is sourced from groundwater, making its protection against contaminant ingress crucial for the preservation of this vital resource. In some cases, contaminants have already traveled so far from their source through decades of groundwater flow that their further spread into water protection zones can only be prevented by underground remediation barriers.

As a result of decades of using constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in the Berlin metropolitan area, massive amounts of nitrogen and carbon compounds were introduced into the groundwater.

The contamination affected a groundwater area of approximately 250 h beneath the Krummendammer Heide in Friedrichshagen. As a result, the nearby wells of the Friedrichshagen water treatment plant were taken out of service for water supply as early as 1995. To prevent the contaminated groundwater from spreading, the water has since been pumped at great expense to the Münchehofe wastewater treatment plant and treated there—at an annual cost of €700,000. Berliner Wasserbetriebe sought a more cost-effective and sustainable alternative to this approach.

In doing so, they developed a patented treatment technology for the efficient biological purification of contaminated groundwater flows in order to protect downstream watersheds from unwanted pollutant inputs. The process is based on a biological oxidation wall (Bioxwand), which was technologically implemented and brought to market readiness by Sensatec GmbH as the exclusive licensee. The Bioxwand pre-treats the contaminated groundwater by introducing oxygen into the subsurface, making it suitable once again for drinking water treatment.

Since 2012, the Friedrichshagen Water Treatment Plant has been sustainably protected against contaminant inflow across a groundwater inflow zone approximately 800 m wide. Through the installation of approximately 100 multilevel gas injection lances and monitoring elements, approximately 30,000 m³ of groundwater is treated cost-effectively every day. Operating costs now amount to approximately €350,000 per year.

The Bioxwand in action: View reference project

Clean drinking water is our most important resource, and it should not be taken for granted. With our in-situ remediation methods, we offer a solution to reliably prevent contaminants from entering the groundwater—and thus our drinking water.