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

The Wupper is an upland river with a length of about 115 kept their yarn moist with river water. Industrialisation con- Wupperverband is responsible for water volume manage- band considers that there are strong links between water, Wupperverband acts as a partner and service provider for In order to allow subscription levels to be reliably planned in kilometres. It rises in -Börlinghausen (“Ober- tinued with the growing number of dye works and other tex- ment and water quality within the Wupper catchment area. people and the environment. This means that Wupperver- its members. The members appoint representatives to the advance, Wupperverband and its committees agree on bergischer Kreis” district) and flows into the at Le- tile mills as well as metalworking plants. As a public body, Wupperverband performs its tasks in the band focuses on people and their involvement in water association’s General Meeting. As the governing body, the common targets. These targets establish how subscription verkusen. public interest and for the benefit of the association mem- management, from their right to clean drinking water to their General Meeting decides on budget issues, cost develop- requirements will develop in the individual business sectors The Wupper and its many tributaries have a total length of In the 19th century, there was a dramatic growth in industry bers and the public. need for flood protection and for guaranteed wastewater ment and other matters. The members of the committees over a period of several years. Wupperverband always aims about 2,300 kilometres. The Wupper basin has an area of and the population in the Wupper valley. Waste and untreat- Its members are town councils, local and district authorities, disposal. It is also very important for people to be able to (association council, finance committee, investment and to outperform these targets for the benefit of its members. 813 square kilometres. ed sewage from businesses, factories and households municipal water suppliers, effluent disposal businesses and enjoy outdoor activities in an unspoilt environment. Further- construction committee) adopt strategic resolutions and The targets of the year 2002 set a maximum subscription in- were discharged into rivers. In effect, the Wupper became a trade and industrial organisations in the Wupper area. Their more, economic factors and social development need to be decide on investments. This means that the members are crease of 2.3 per cent per year in the sewage and waste- In earlier centuries, the cool, clear and oxygen-rich River sewer. There were also flooding problems as well as water contributions cover the costs of wastewater treatment with taken into account. involved in the decision-making process. water sector. Wupperverband not only succeeded in re- Wupper provided an ideal environment for many species of shortages during dry periods. sewage sludge disposal, flood protection, managing maining below this target, but was even able to reduce its fish, such as salmon and brown trout. water flow during dry periods (raising low water Wupperverband is well aware of global The responsible handling of members’ subscriptions in a rates in this sector between 2007 and 2011 and make re- Also, the Wupper and its tributaries were already used by The towns and villages along the River Wupper were unable levels), providing water for drinking water pu- issues like climate change, resource spirit of cost awareness is a top priority for Wupperverband. funds to its members. people in prehistoric times. Water power drove mills and to solve all the water management problems alone. An or- rification, maintenance and ecological conservation and biodiversity. It This includes reviewing costs, consistently optimising oper- forges. On the meadows of the Wupper, yarn bleachers ganisation able to deal with all these problems from the development of the rivers and streams places great emphasis on the pro- ations and implementing savings, managing finances and source to the river mouth and the identification of water man- tection of the environment and interest securely and making profits, e.g. through incinera- was needed. For this rea- agement principles. does everything in its power to tion of sewage sludge for third parties. son, the Wupperverband make a positive contribu- river association was es- Around 950,000 people live in the asso- tion in this area. tablished in 1930 to as- ciation area. Wupperverband operates sume responsibility for 12 reservoirs, 11 wastewater water management within treatment plants, numerous the catchment area. storm water tanks and flood control reservoirs and manages around 2,300 kilometres of streams and rivers.

As the slogan “for water, peo- ple and the en- vironment” sug- gests, Wupperver- WiW mbh River basin management: achieving more together The Wupper: from an open sewer to a natural habitat www.wiwmbh.de

Wupperverbandsgesellschaft für integrale Wasserwirtschaft Water management involves a wide range of tasks and Wupperverband even goes a step further in its approach. In For a long time, the Wupper was known as one of the dirti- The most important objectives of Wupperverband’s river mbH (WiW mbH) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wup- many different participants. As at the time when Wupperver- this context, future-oriented issues play an important role est rivers in Europe. Even in the 1980s, the river was heavily basin management are to protect and develop the ecology perverband. Since 1997 it has been supporting munici- band was founded, cooperation is still a key factor for posi- when completing river basin management tasks. The EU polluted, particularly in the lower reaches between Wupper- of the Wupper and its tributaries and to preserve natural palities, industrial companies and other organisations tive developments in the Wupper area. Water Framework Directive and the Directive on the Assess- tal and the confluence with the Rhine at . Over habitats and their benefits for people and animals. Wupper- throughout with its specialist knowledge. Its Achieving more together – this is the motto for holistic river ment and Management of Flood Risks form the most impor- the past 20 years, the water quality of the Wupper has been verband and its members as well as the stakeholders in- activities focus on development concepts and on basin management. This means that all the relevant factors, tant legal foundations. Topics such as climate change, de- significantly improved through huge investments made by volved are ready to meet the challenges of the future. River Basin Management process and energy optimisation for municipal and in- such as sanitary engineering, wastewater treatment, flood mographic developments, micropollutants, reducing energy Wupperverband, the local authorities and industrial compa- dustrial sewage treatment plants. protection, drinking water supply, fisheries, agriculture, consumption, generating and using renewable energies, nies. Nowadays, the water quality is so good that many in the Wupper Region leisure use and everyone involved such as members, au- biodiversity, leisure and tourism are becoming more and species of fish have returned to the Wupper. 32 species of Detailed information thorities, water stakeholders, fisheries and farmers need to more important in regional development. fish such as grayling, common barbel, common nase and about Wupperverband is available on its website be taken into consideration. brown trout can be found in the Wupper again. Even the www.wupperverband.de and in the river basin geo-infor- Wupperverband is committed to river basin management most sensitive migratory fish, above all salmon, are also mation system, “FluGGS”, at www.fluggs.de. which is holistic, sustainable, now being released into the Wupper and its tributaries as cost efficient, cooperative and part of the migratory fish programme of the State of North Our brochures are available free of charge and can be planned for the long term. Suc- Rhine-Westphalia. ordered using the order form on the website, by sending cessful cooperation with stake- The transformation of the Wupper from an open sewer into an email to [email protected], or by telephone holders leads to joint solutions. a natural habitat for numerous species of animals and on + 49 (0)202 583-0. Wupperverband uses a variety plants is a real success story. 30 years ago, nobody would of tools in river basin manage- have expected that fish would return to the river, anglers Published by ment. These include work- would pursue their hobby again and people would enjoy Wupperverband shops, scientific brochures, the spending their free time by and on the river. Untere Lichtenplatzer Straße 100, 42289 internet, newsletters and the Tel.: +49 (0) 202 583-0, [email protected] annual river basin management www.wupperverband.de symposium. All the relevant information for Photos specialists and the public is Fish: Bernd Stemmer, kingfisher: Michael Taschka made available in the river Aerial photos: Stuttgarter Luftbild Elsäßer GmbH basin geo-information system All other photos: Wupperverband FluGGS.

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