Circular hiking trail water extraction plant Hohe Struth

WVS explanations on the water extraction plant "Hohe Struth"
The WVS is pleased that dedicated individuals from the Zeppenfeld local heritage association have shown interest in the historical water extraction plant from the early 20th century in the nearby area and are committed to preserving this cultural heritage for future generations.
Who can imagine today what dry years in the 1950s and 1960s meant? Another 50 years later, now in the 21st century, we have abundant access to high-quality drinking water without any concerns. Back in around 1903, the population was surely grateful to have running water in their households, allowing them to do away with household water wells, at least for drinking water purposes.
This drinking water extraction plant represents numerous facilities in the local administrative district of Siegen-Wittgenstein and illustrates the historical development in our region surrounding the most essential asset, water. Decentralized water supply facilities were already established in the district by the end of the 19th century.
This led to local communities independently constructing their facilities, including Zeppenfeld. The new underground infrastructure was built from 1903 onwards using pure manpower – mechanical processing was not yet feasible. The pipe dimensions mostly ranged from DN 50/60/70 to 80. The pipes were made of cast iron and perforated clay pipes were used in the drainage ditches. The water demand for the Zeppenfeld local community was approximately 100 m³ per day.
For about 4 to 5 decades, the drinking water extraction plant and pipelines were adequately sized for the village of Zeppenfeld. However, by the mid-1950s, it became evident that the drinking water supply would not be sustainable without structural expansions or renewals.
In 1956, plans for expanding the plant were drafted by the responsible district cultural construction office. The planning proposals were approved by the state police later that year, now known as permits or building permits! At the same time, the municipality of Zeppenfeld received a non-refundable state subsidy of €125,000. The expansion request was justified by the progressive growth of the village and the necessary increase in water supply.
Therefore, in 1957, the municipality of Zeppenfeld commissioned various construction companies to carry out the expansion and renovation works at the extraction plant. The technical structures were upgraded to the then-current "state of the art." Most of the cast iron pipelines were replaced with asbestos cement pipes with a nominal width of 100. The existing collection wells, pipe wells, and water tunnels, along with their access points, were all renewed/rehabilitated. Additionally, the elevated tank built around 1903 (with a usable volume of 130 m³) on Daaderweg was technically improved and equipped with a closed treatment plant. To meet the increased water demand and supply drinking water to households, a new elevated tank with a capacity of 100 m³ was constructed in the Mühlenberg area. The completion of the renovation and renewal works was approved by the Arnsberg district government in 1959 and by the Hagen water management office in 1960.
Essentially, this type of drinking water extraction plant heavily relies on precipitation. It was not uncommon during prolonged dry periods for the water supply to Zeppenfeld from this plant to be insufficient. The "yield" of the extraction plant decreased to as low as 40 m³ per day. To avoid any water shortages, the municipality established a local network connection to the Neunkirchen supply system and compensated for the shortfall by sourcing water from the "Knappschaftsglück" pit.
By the 1960s, the water demand for the municipality of Zeppenfeld had already doubled to around 200 m³ per day. Once again, the municipality took action to address the water supply. Thus, from 1965 onwards, two additional horizontal drilling operations were carried out in the Bruchwald area, and a new extraction plant was set up in the Bahlenbachtal valley (Wiederstein territory). The increasing water demand and the dry years of 1957 and 1959 highlighted the fact that a secure drinking water supply could only be achieved on a larger scale.
In 1961, the cities of Siegen, Weidenau, and the municipality of Eiserfeld joined the Siegerland Water Association. This laid the economic foundation for the planning and construction of the Obernautalsperre dam, which was completed between 1967 and 1971. By the early 1970s, the remaining municipalities in the former Siegen district, including Neunkirchen, had also become members of the association. With the construction and commissioning of the Obernautalsperre dam and the establishment of a central water supply system, the Siegerland Water Association (now: Siegen-Wittgenstein Water Association) took over water supply responsibilities.
As a result, the "Hohe Struth" extraction plant was completely abandoned in 1977 and has since ceased to play a role in water supply. However, similar to many other cases, the WVS is still the owner of the technical facilities and therefore responsible for safety measures. Over the past few years, these "old facilities" have been gradually dismantled by the WVS to reduce potential hazards. Concerning the former drinking water extraction plant under consideration here, ownership was transferred back to the Neunkirchen municipality, with the exception of the elevated tanks, on January 1, 2015, and the Zeppenfeld local heritage association is now responsible for the maintenance and care of the facilities.
The architectural uniqueness of the once-operated drinking water extraction plant here lies in the versatile combination of technical methods, utilizing shallow groundwater while considering topographic and geological constraints and conditions. The following were combined: water tunnels, shaft with drainage ditches, shaft wells with drainage ditches, drainage basins, and ring wells.