The Wupper: from a clean river to a sewer The Wupperverband: river basin management for Cooperation with the members: partnership and the Wupper responsibility

The Wupper is a low-mountain-range river of approximately water wheels in mills and forges. The yarn bleachers kept The Wupperverband is responsible for the water volume As the motto "for water, man and environment" states, the el- The Wupperverband fulfils its tasks for its association mem- To ensure the long-term budgeting of the contribution devel- 115 kilometres in length. Its spring is at -Bör- their yarns moist on the meadows of the Wupper with water management and the water quality in the catchment area of ement water, man and the environment form one unit for the bers and as their partner and service provider. The mem- opment for its members, the association concludes target linghausen (Oberbergisch county), flowing into the at from the river. The settlement of dye-works and other textile- the Wupper. As a corporation under public law it fulfils its Wupperverband. Focal point of the actions is man in his wa- bers dispatch delegates to the association meeting. The as- agreements with its committees. The target agreements de- . as well as metal processing industries formed the origin of tasks in the public interest and for the benefit of its associa- ter management environment, with his right to clean drinking sociation meeting, as the governing body, decides among termine how the contribution requirements develop in the The Wupper and its countless feeders form a network of the industrialisation. tion members and the citizens. water, his need for flood prevention, a regulated wastewater other regarding the budget and the contribution develop- individual sectors over a period of several years. The aim of water bodies with a length of approx. 2,300 kilometres. The During the 19. century industry and population increased Its members are cities and communities, counties, commu- disposal and the recreational usage of an ecologically intact ment. In committees (association management, financial the Wupperverband is to exceed the target agreements for catchment area of the Wupper comprises an area of 813 rapidly in the valley of the Wupper. Waste and untreated nal water suppliers, waste management companies as well environment. However, the economic situation and the so- committee, investment- and construction committee) the the benefit of its members. In the sector wastewater treat- square kilometres. wastewater of the businesses, factories and households as industry and trade in the Wupper area. With their contri- cial development demand consideration as well. members pass strategic resolutions and investment deci- ment plants and disposal the target agreement provides for were channelled into the river. The Wupper turned into a butions they finance tasks like wastewater treatment with sions and prepare the decisions of the association meeting. a maximum increase in contributions of 2.3 % per annum In the early centuries the Wupper with its cool, clear and sewer. Flood problems and water shortage during dry sea- sewage sludge disposal, flood alleviation, water flow The term 'environment' signifies that the Thus the members are involved in major decisions and since 2002. Not only did the Wupperverband stay signifi- oxygen-rich waters was the ideal environment for many sons were an additional factor. during dry seasons (low-flow increase), the provi- Wupperverband is sensitive to global top- share the responsibility. cantly below the stipulations of the target agreement re- species of fish such as salmon and brook trout. sion of untreated water for drinking-water con- ics such as climate, resources and the The responsible and cost-effective handling of membership garding the contribution development, it was also able to The Wupper and its side-arms were utilised by the people The cities and communities along the Wupper were not able version, management and ecological de- protection of species and that it contributions entrusted to it is of the utmost importance for reduce the contribution and even pay refunds to its mem- even in the early times. The power of the water propelled to solve the various water resource problems in the Wupper velopment of the waterways as well as makes a positive contribution within the Wupperverband. This includes, among other, to exam- bers during the years 2007 to 2011. area on their own. It re- the determination of water manage- its scope of possibilities. ine costs, to consequently implement operational optimisa- quired an organisation ment bases. tion and savings, to perform safe finance- and interest man- that would assume re- agement and to produce profit, for example through the co- sponsibility for the entire The area of the association accommo- incineration of external sewage sludge. problematic from spring dates approximately 950,000 people. to river mouth. Thus the The Wupperverband operates 12 Wupperverband was dams, 11 wastewater treatment founded in 1930 to take plants, numerous rain- and over the tasks of water flood retention basins and management in the entire manages the approx. river catchment area. 2,300 kilometres of flow- ing water. WiW mbh River basin management: achieving more as a team The Wupper: from sewage river to habitat www.wiwmbh.de

The Wupperverbandsgesellschaft für integrale Wasser- Water management is a broad spectrum with numerous The approach of the Wupperverband exceeds these fac- For a long time the Wupper was known as one of Europe's The objective of the Wupperverband in the river basin man- wirtschaft mbH (WiW mbH) is a 100% subsidiary company participants. As was the case at the foundation of the Wup- tors. Included in the tasks of "its" river basin management dirtiest rivers. As late as the 1980s the river was very pollut- agement is the protection and further ecologic development of the Wupperverband. Since 1997 it provides its expert perverband, so is the cooperation key to a positive develop- are also future-oriented topics: The EU-Water Framework ed, particularly at the lower reaches between and of the Wupper and its side-arms, to retain it in its function as knowledge nationwide to wastewater technology projects ment in the Wupper area today. Directive and the Flood Risk Management Directive are the mouth in Leverkusen. The waterway quality of the Wup- a habitat as well as for the benefit of the people. The asso- for cities, communities and industrial enterprises. Focal Achieving more as a team is the motto for the holistic man- here the most important legal bases. The topics of climate per has significantly increased during the last 20 years due ciation, together with its members and activists in the Wup- points of the activities are the development of expansion agement of the river area, the so-called "river basin man- change, demographic development, trace elements, reduc- to the immense investments of the Wupperverband, the per area is facing the challenges of the future. River basin management concepts as well as the process-engineering and energetic agement". This means that all influencing factors are includ- tion of energy consumption, the generation and deployment communities and the industry. Today the water quality has optimisation of communal as well as industrial wastewater ed, such as the settlement drainage, wastewater treatment, of renewable energy, bio-diversity, recreation and tourism improved to such an extent that numerous fish species in the Wupper area treatment plants. flood alleviation, drinking water supply, fisheries, agricul- are gaining more and more significance in the development have returned to the Wupper. 32 species of fish, such as for man and environment for water, ture, recreational usage as well as all participants, such as of a region. example graylings, barbel, nase and brook trout have been for example the members, authorities, water activists, fish- Its river basin management claims to be holistic, sustain- found in the Wupper again. Also the discerning migrating Detailed information eries and agriculture. able, cost-efficient, concerted and enduring. Joint solutions fish, headed by the salmon, are today being colonised in regarding the Wupperverband is available in the internet are developed through collabo- the Wupper and its side-arms in the context of the migrat- under www.wupperverband.de and in the FlussGebiets- rative working with the water ing-fish-program of the county Nordrhein-Westfalen. GeoinformationsSystem "FluGGS" under www.fluggs.de. activists. To bring about the You can order our free brochures with an order form on conversion of river basin man- The transformation of the Wupper from sewage river to the internet, via email to [email protected] or by agement, the Wupperverband habitat for numerous animal- and plant species is a suc- phone under +49 202 583-0. makes use of a range of tools. cess story. Some 30 years ago it was hardly imaginable that These are workshops, pam- fish would inhabit the river today, that anglers would pursue Publisher phlets as a knowledge base, their hobby and that people would enjoy spending time at Wupperverband the internet, a newsletter and and on the river. Untere Lichtenplatzer Straße 100, 42289 Wuppertal not least the annual symposium Tel.: +49 202 583-0, [email protected] on river basin management. www.wupperverband.de All relevant information for ex- Photos perts and citizens alike are Fishes: Bernd Stemmer, Kingfisher: Michael Taschka stored at the FlussGebiets- air images: Stuttgarter Luftbild Elsäßer GmbH GeoinformationsSystem FluGGS all others: Wupperverband of the Wupperverband to ex- change data and information.

Print Offset Company 42117 Wuppertal April 2011