110 million euros for clean water: Thuringia is moving!

110 million euros for clean water: Thuringia is moving!

The clean thing in Thuringia

Thuringia is on the right track when it comes to wastewater treatment. By 2030, the state plans to connect over 90 percent of households to sewage treatment plants. An ambitious goal that should visibly increase the quality of life in rural regions. According to n-tv.de [1], 70 measures to improve wastewater treatment in municipalities will already be underway next year. A total of around 110 million euros will be invested in this initiative, with around half being available as funding from the state, federal government and the EU.

A close interaction

Thuringia's Environment Minister Tilo Kummer makes it clear that rural communities cannot bear the increased costs of sewage treatment plants alone. This is a central point in the wastewater pact between the state and municipalities, which has been in place since 2018 and which provides around 227 million euros by 2024, predominantly from state funds. This pact aims to create equal living conditions between cities and rural areas. Fortunately, the level of connection to municipal sewage treatment plants has increased from 80 percent in 2018 to currently 86 percent.

Investments in focus

At the same time, over 30 Thuringian sewage treatment plants will need to be expanded over the next two decades. The European limits for wastewater treatment have become stricter, which requires an expansion of the four largest sewage treatment plants in Thuringia in order to introduce an additional, fourth treatment level. Current degradation methods are not sufficient to adequately filter residues from medications, cosmetics and even insulin. The regional association of the Association for Water Management, Wastewater and Waste estimates the costs for this expansion at around 200 million euros, reports mdr.de [2].

A changing environmental awareness

Some smaller sewage treatment plants also need to be modernized so that the treated wastewater can be safely discharged into drinking water areas or bathing lakes. These investments are essential to ensure water quality in Thuringia and to meet the changing requirements of the EU.

In summary, it can be seen that Thuringia is on a promising course when it comes to improving wastewater treatment. These measures are not only crucial for the environment, but also contribute significantly to the well-being of the population in urban and rural areas. Let's stay tuned to see how the situation will develop by 2030. Because when it comes to clean water, Thuringia doesn't take long to ask.

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