New rain overflow basin in Saalfeld: protection against heavy rain

New rain overflow basin in Saalfeld: protection against heavy rain

A lot is happening in Saalfeld, as construction work on a new storm overflow basin is in full swing. A large hole is currently being dug at a slim location below the Schlossberg, right next to the Am Weidig festival site. Andreas Stausberg, managing director of the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt water and wastewater association, is responsible for this measure. The new rain retention basin has a volume of 470 cubic meters and is intended to relieve the pressure on the city's low point, where around 4,000 households have their wastewater. This will raise an amount of around 2.7 million euros, which will focus on environmental and water protection.

The construction work to relieve the pressure on the canal system has been running for around six weeks and, according to plans, should be completed by the end of July 2026. In recent years there have been increasing amounts of heavy rain in Saalfeld, which have pushed the existing wastewater system to its limits. The result was massive backflow problems and a risk to the Saale due to pollution. A rain overflow basin acts like a protective shield by storing the runoff in a controlled manner during rain events of up to 4,000 liters of water per second. This reduces the waste water runoff to almost zero.

How it works explained

The rain overflow basin works according to a well thought-out principle: it temporarily stores the water, holds back the heavily contaminated part and dilutes it. The heart of this is a baffle that keeps larger dirt particles at the bottom of the pool. A rake also removes smaller particles so that the water can be cleaned and sent to the next circuit. This significantly reduces the burden on the sewage treatment plant and protects the natural watercourse.

After the completion of this first basin, a total of eight stormwater overflow basins in Saalfeld will be expanded. Two more are already being planned to further optimize the wastewater situation in the city. In addition, a similar stormwater overflow basin is being built in Rudolstadt, which underlines the importance of these infrastructure measures.

Costs and financing

The costs for the second planned pool on the pioneer bridge in the “Wüste Köditz” residential area amount to around two million euros. Financing comes from household contributions, with no prospect of higher fees. These measures are not only an investment in infrastructure, but also a valuable contribution to environmental protection and the future safety of local residents.

The project in Saalfeld shows how important it is to respond to the challenges of climate change in a timely manner. With these rain retention basins, the city will be better prepared when the next storm comes around. Thoughtful planning in the use of rainwater not only creates added value for the city and its citizens, but also protects the valuable waters in the surrounding area.

While we wait for the construction work to be completed, we can only hope that a few raindrops outside will no longer flood our worries, but will be channeled into a system worth protecting that has a good hand for everyone.