Johannisthal Waterworks

The Johannisthal Waterworks () is a nature reserve of about 35 hectares in the Berlin district of Treptow-Köpenick. It is bounded to the north by Königsheideweg, to the west by Johannisthaler Chaussee, to the south by the A113 motorway, and to the east by Springbornstraße and Koschatweg.

In 1901, a waterworks with two hydraulic pipelines was commissioned on the site of the current nature reserve, which extracted water from the Spree, the Dahme, the Britzer Verbindungskanal, and the Teltowkanal with the help of a total of 26 pumping wells. By the 1970s, around 80 additional wells were put into operation. With a pumping capacity of 65,000 m³ per day, approximately 300,000 residents could be supplied with drinking water. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, consumption decreased significantly; in 2001, extraction was completely halted. There are plans to resume drinking water extraction. However, extensive remediation measures in the area around the waterworks are necessary, as pollutants such as arsenic, cyanide, and chlorinated hydrocarbons from contaminated sites have entered the catchment area. Therefore, the current function of the Johannisthal Waterworks is limited to ensuring the remediation of contaminated sites and maintaining an environmentally and residentially compatible groundwater level. Furthermore, the water supply concept for Berlin designates the Johannisthal Waterworks as a site for drinking water supply.

Wikipedia