Water Protection in Germany - objectives, situation

Policy objectives

The central objectives of water protection policy in Germany are:

• Conserving or restoring the ecological balance of waters,
• Guaranteeing a good quality and sufficient supply of drinking water and industrial water, and
• Safeguarding all other water uses that serve public interest, for example recreation and free time, navigation and energy use.

According to the division of competencies between the Federation and the Länder as determined by the Basic Law (Grundgesetz), the Federal Government only has competence for issuing framework provisions. The Länder are responsible for the implementation and supplementation of these Federal provisions and the enforcement of all legal provisions regarding water protection. The Federal Government alone has to answer to the EU.
As responsibility for water protection does not stop at national borders, the Federal Government has made transboundary cooperation in protecting inland waters and lakes a key element of its water protection policy.

The situation

Due to the favourable climatic conditions in Germany, there are generally no problems with regard to an adequate water supply for the population. Nevertheless, the rational use of water is important, as water shortages can occur in some regions in summer. Furthermore, as little wastewater as possible should be produced.
The primary focus of water policy is therefore improving water quality in Germany.
A good thirty years ago, water pollution in Germany gave great cause for concern, as during the post-war reconstruction years in the Federal Republic of Germany, water protection did not keep pace with the expansion of industrial activities.
The Federation and the Länder have therefore introduced a variety of measures aimed at a long-term improvement in water quality as quickly as possible. A priority here is to prompt those responsible for polluting waters to take far-reaching water protection measures.
The construction of over 10000 biological sewage treatment plants in the municipalities and intensive wastewater treatment and supplementary on-site measures at industrial sites have brought about a considerable reduction in the input of pollutants into waters.

Today

The main focus of current water protection policy is to prevent the pollution of groundwater and surface water with hazardous substances, e.g. with poisonous, not readily degradable organic substances, and with several heavy metals.
Nutrients pose a further problem, particular in the North and Baltic Seas. Nitrogen and phosphorous from agriculture, industry, commerce and private households lead to excessive algae growth resulting in a lack of oxygen and dying fish.
More stringent requirements for municipal and industrial sewage plants and increased wastewater charges are to reduce the inputs of such nutrients and pollutants into water.