Dresden is planning a river waterworks: a dispute breaks out over location and design!

Dresden is planning a river waterworks: a dispute breaks out over location and design!

Something is happening in Dresden-Kaditz: an innovative river waterworks is to be built here by 2030, which will cover the needs of the growing chip industry in the north of Dresden by pumping 60,000 cubic meters of water from the Elbe every day. This project, which is a collaboration between the Free State of Saxony, the state capital Dresden and SachsenEnergie is planned, aims to decouple the industrial water supply from the drinking water supply in order to conserve valuable water resources. This not only makes working more environmentally friendly, but also strengthens Dresden as a business location.

Originally, the construction site was planned to be close to the wing path bridge, but this was abandoned in favor of a new location a few hundred meters away. This means that construction can be built faster, cheaper and more flood-proof. Nevertheless, Sachsen-Energie's approach is a topic of discussion within the design commission. This expresses dissatisfaction because those responsible for the project appeared without concrete construction plans or visualizations, like this Sächsische.de reported. Professor Wolfgang Lorch, chairman of the commission, demands serious involvement in the decision-making processes.

Economic dimensions

With an investment volume of over 320 million euros, this new industrial water system will not only supply chip manufacturers Infineon and Bosch, which have already secured future water volumes, but will also contribute to the creation of new jobs and the growth of the region. City councilor André Schollbach (Left) also emphasizes the importance of the project and advocates for more influence on the design.

The development is also seen against the background of the recent arrival of the Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC. This shows how strong the demand for water is in the rapidly growing semiconductor industry. Forecasts assume that the semiconductor industry's share of Dresden's total water demand could rise from 30% to 50% by 2030.

Sustainability in focus

A central concern of the planned river waterworks is to have only a minimal influence on the water balance of the Elbe - an estimated 0.21% of the flow rate. In addition, 80-90% of the water withdrawn should be returned via the city drainage system after use. This approach is particularly important in the context of increasing global water demand and the challenges of climate change. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development emphasizes the need for integrated water resource management that harmonizes different user groups and interests.

However, the current status of the project shows that there is still a lot to be clarified. The point regarding the involvement of the design commission has been postponed for the time being and will be discussed again soon. In the future, the property on which the waterworks is to be built will be sold to Sachsen-Energie for 2.1 million euros. If everything goes according to plan, construction could begin as early as the end of 2027.