New filter for the Hüller Bach: 3 million euros for clean water!

New filter for the Hüller Bach: 3 million euros for clean water!

The Emscher cooperative today announced the start of an important environmental project that invests over 3 million euros in the cleanliness of the Hüller Bach. This is an important measure to improve the water quality, which was positively recognized by Mayor Frank Dudda. "The measures will have a lasting impact on the water ecology of the Hüller Bach and the Emscher," said Dudda. This Initiative is particularly relevant because the Hüller Bach, formerly also known as the "Köttelbecke", flows as part of the largest side catchment area of ​​the Emscher via Bochum, Herne and Gelsenkirchen.

In the course of the measures, a retention floor filter is built on Hofstrasse. This is supposed to improve the water quality sustainably and supports the recovery of the Hüller Bach. The project was launched in cooperation with the Wasserwirtschaftsverband and the city of Herne. The construction of the retention floor filter is part of a more comprehensive concept that also includes the construction of a flood retention basin (HRB).

flood protection in focus

With the background that a heavy rain event in the summer of 2021 led to considerable floods in Bochum and Herne, the Emscher cooperative in cooperation with the cities of Bochum and Herne took measures to reduce the risk of flooding. The start of the project for the HRB, which is located in Bochum, near the city border with Herne, took place on July 3, 2023. The HRB has a capacity of 90,000 cubic meters of water, which corresponds to more than 600,000 bathtub fillings. As a result, the water output on the run of the pelvis during flood events can be reduced by 15,000 liters per second.

In contrast to a scenario without storing the flood retention basin, 63,000 liters per second flow through the Hüller Bach. With the HRB, this river can be reduced to only 48,000 liters per second, which leads to a maximum lowering of the level in the Hüller Bach by up to 65 centimeters. The measures thus make a decisive contribution to reducing the risk of flooding in the cities of Bochum, Herne and Gelsenkirchen.

environmentally friendly extensions

The project not only promotes flood protection, but also includes the natural redesign and the creation of new habitats for flora and fauna. The retention floor filter will clarify rainy amounts from the Marbach storage space channel and thus contribute to improving the water conditions. The total costs of the project amount to around 11 million euros, whereby the construction period is expected to be scheduled until mid -2026.

The Emschergenossenschaft, which was founded on December 14, 1899 and celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, is the largest operator of sewage treatment plants and pumping plants in Germany. Their most famous project, the Emscher renovation, extended from 1992 to 2021 and comprised 436 kilometers of new sewers and four large sewage treatment plants.

Through these comprehensive measures, the Emscher cooperative impressively shows how sustainable flood protection and environmental and nature conservation can be connected to improve the quality of life for citizens in the region.

Radio Herne reports about the investments in the Hüller Bach, eglv.de informed about the flood retention basin and