Industry and Water Rights
The town of Baruth, 60 km south of Berlin, is at the center of a conflict between industry and residents over groundwater use. Red Bull and Austrian beverage producer Rauch plan a new bottling plant that would withdraw up to 7 million liters of groundwater per day. The Baruth waterworks is licensed to extract a fixed amount of groundwater each year, of which only 8 % is used for the drinking water supply of its 4,300 residents. The remaining 92 % is reserved for Red Bull and Rauch, enough to cover the drinking water needs of 57,000 people. The exact amounts used by the companies are not public. Former mayor Peter Ilk emphasizes that the contracts, about 30 years old, enshrine the priority principle for the population. He sees no problems with water management.
Citizens’ Forums and Transparency
Hydrogeologist Irina Engelhardt from the Technical University of Berlin criticizes the outdated contracts and calls for new, independent assessments. Together with a citizens’ initiative she demands clear and open communication. Although authorities granted access to some monitoring documents, large parts were redacted, which residents view as an attempt to conceal information about falling groundwater levels. Petra Liesenfeld, who has witnessed the decline for years, asks: “Why can the public not know what is happening?” The companies have not responded so far.
Impact on Brandenburg
The drought in Brandenburg has severely stressed water reserves. Andreas Marx, head of the Drought Monitor at the Helmholtz Centre, points out that 95 % of the state’s drinking water comes from groundwater. Tesla in Grünheide has a permit to extract up to 1.4 million cubic metres of water per year and plans to expand production to 7,500 vehicles per week. Meanwhile, the planned copper mining in Spremberg generates saline, sulfurous mine water that is difficult to treat. According to Michael Pfeifer, the proposed treatment plant is nowhere near capable of cleaning the water to a standard suitable for discharge into the Spree. The water flow into the Spree could be up to 75 % lower in dry summers, with far-reaching consequences for Berlin.
Potential Solutions
Engelhardt is investigating possibilities for artificial groundwater recharge, where excess rainwater is stored underground during wet periods for later use. She sees potential in areas such as Grünheide, where artificial recharge could meet almost the entire demand of the local drinking water supplier. But sufficient water must be available for this solution to work. Marx stresses the need for clear rules governing water distribution among population, agriculture, nature, and industry during prolonged dry periods.
The debate remains open, as the companies have yet to respond.
