Ahead of World Water Day taking place on Tuesday 22 March 2016, the City of Luxembourg has presented a 2015 review and future outlook of the activities of the 'Water and Drainage' Services under the Energy-Environment Directorate of the City of Luxembourg.

Grouped together with the 'Energy' and 'Hygiene' Services, the Water Department of the City of Luxembourg is involved in the establishment, operation and maintenance of the supply of drinking water in the capital, as well as the monitoring of the quality of the water distributed.

Around two-thirds of the drinking water comes from captured springs owned by the City, whilst the other third is provided through the Syndicat des Eaux du Barrage d'Esch-sur-Sûre (SEBES). Overall, the City of Luxembourg manages 72 catchments within a 10 km radius of the capital, divided into the key areas of the right bank of Kopstal and left bank of Mamer, Siweburen and Millebaach, Glaasburen and Dommeldange, Birelergronn and the Pollfermillen catchment.

In 2015, more than 7.5 million m3 of water was provided across the entire territory of the capital. However, the portion of water coming from sources decreased significantly that year, from 65% to 51.2%, after it was found that certain catchments in Kopstal and Pollfermillen held too-high levels of pesticides.

As the population increases and the city further develops, a need has arisen for expansion projects and sanitation measures. In 2015, a total of €13,750,160.03 was invested in the sanitation programme. One of the major projects currently underway is the construction of a connection between the Beggen and Bonnevoie water treatment plants, work on which was started in February 2012 and is expected to be completed by early 2018.

These two wastewater treatment plants are managed by the Drainage Services, which also oversees the pipe network in the City territory. The treatment plant in Bonnevoie will be decommissioned in mid-2016, whereupon all wastewater will be centrally processed at the WWTP in Beggen. In 2015, the total quantity of wastewater treated across the City and its implicated municipalities was 14,818,775 m3.

 

Photo by Ville de Luxembourg