For a long time rainwater was regarded as wastewater rather than a resource. Along with dirty water from households and industry it was fed into the sewage system and from there to water treatment plants.
In many respects this had a detrimental effect on the environment and on natural water resources.
On 25 and 26 April 2013, under the heading of “Stormwater Management“, Wasser Berlin International 2013 will hold a one-and-a-half-day symposium on sustainable rainwater management. The organisers are the science and technology publication gwf-Wasser|Abwasser in cooperation with Beuth-Verlag and the German Association of Engineers for Water Management, Waste Management and Land Improvement (BWK).
Bad rainwater management has a variety of negative effects. Heavy rainfall within a short space of time causes drains and sewage systems to overflow. In situations such as these flooding becomes even worse. Heavy precipitation often spills dirty water from overflow systems into streams and rivers where it contaminates eco-systems. On the other hand, areas which suffer regular and substantial rainwater drainage will in time dry out, which in turn negatively effects local fauna and flora. What is more, conventional methods of rainwater disposal not only incur costs for the operators of sewage systems and water treatment plants, but for house owners as well, in areas where there are separate rates for rainwater disposal.
The symposium in Berlin will present the state of the art in decentralised solutions for modern, sustainable rainwater management. Leading international experts on household water management and urban planning and landscaping will provide a comprehensive overview of the latest science and technology achievements in this field. Practical examples will serve to illustrate how decentralised rainwater management solutions can be incorporated into existing buildings and new projects. In addition to technical aspects the discussion will focus on norm-setting, approval procedures and their integration into building law. The symposium will be rounded off by an excursion to a residential area in Berlin where decentralised rainwater management has been implemented, followed by an informative and entertaining evening event.
