Water and water protection

Water is the basis of all life. Streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands are home to a wide variety of plants and animals and are important components of the natural balance. Each of us uses water for food and daily hygiene, but also for various leisure activities.

As the lower water authority, the City of Chemnitz has the task of enforcing the applicable legal regulations of water law^{[2], [3]} within the framework of water management and water protection. The aim of water protection is to protect water bodies as part of the natural balance, as the basis of human life, as a habitat for animals and plants and as a usable asset through sustainable water management (Section 1 of the Water Resources Act). Waters are both surface waters (rivers, streams, ponds) and groundwater.

The most present are running and standing waters. Our city is crossed by the Würschnitz and Zwönitz rivers, which join to form the Chemnitz in Altchemnitz, and by many larger and smaller streams. These streams and rivers fulfil important tasks for the natural balance and characterise the townscape.

The network of watercourses in the city area is around 400 kilometres long. The watercourses are divided into 1st and 2nd order watercourses. Zwönitz, Würschnitz and Chemnitz, the main watercourses, are 1st order watercourses and are maintained by the State Reservoir Administration of the Free State of Saxony. The municipal civil engineering office is responsible for all other watercourses.

At the latest when the European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)^[1] came into force in 2000, the importance of intact watercourses became much more prominent in the public eye. For the first time, Europe-wide principles for water protection were defined. All EU member states are obliged to achieve "good ecological" and "good chemical status" for all water bodies by 2027, and "good quantitative" and "good chemical status" for groundwater.

As a rule, a permit under water law is required for the use of a body of water; the construction or modification of facilities in or on bodies of water requires a permit. The construction and modification of facilities for handling substances hazardous to water must be notified to the water authority in advance.

Watercourse margins in particular play a very important role in maintaining the ecological function and flood protection. They serve to maintain and improve the ecological functions of surface waters, to store water, to ensure water runoff and to minimise the discharge of pollutants. For this reason, there are some restrictions on their use by property owners and neighbours.

The flood events of 2002, 2010 and 2013 showed us the destructive power of water. Since then, flood protection plans have been drawn up for the Chemnitz, Würschnitz and Zwönitz rivers, as well as for the Pleißenbach and Kappelbach rivers, and these are currently being updated as flood risk management plans. Numerous flood protection construction measures have been implemented to minimise damage in the event of future floods. Floodplains have a very important protective function for flood retention and flood runoff. Special protection regulations therefore apply to the construction or extension of buildings and the designation of new building areas in designated flood zones. Hazard maps provide information on hazards in the event of flooding due to flooding and damming/overflowing of bridges.

In the event of flooding, those affected have little time to react effectively. This makes it all the more important to provide advice and information in advance on specific risks, ways to take precautions and behaviour in an emergency.

Drinking water in Chemnitz is supplied by eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co KG. It obtains its drinking water from the Zweckverband Fernwasser Südsachen via the Einsiedel and Burkersdorf waterworks. The raw water treated in the waterworks comes from reservoirs. The Einsiedel reservoir is located in the town itself. The designated drinking water protection area "Talsperre Einsiedel" provides effective protection against contamination.

If water is changed in its properties through domestic, commercial, agricultural or other use, it becomes wastewater. Wastewater disposal is a mandatory municipal task and is carried out in Chemnitz by the waste disposal company of the city of Chemnitz (ESC)^[4]. For this purpose, eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co KG operates a state-of-the-art centralised wastewater treatment plant in Chemnitz-Heinersdorf on behalf of the city. For properties that cannot be connected to the public sewer system for economic reasons or due to topographical conditions, wastewater disposal must continue to take place via state-of-the-art small sewage treatment plants or drainless septic tanks. The wastewater disposal concept (ABK) of the City of Chemnitz stipulates which properties must permanently dispose of their wastewater in a decentralised manner.