The Ruhrverband – An Operational Water Management Utility

The Ruhrverband is a non-profit water management utility operating under public law. Whether operating its reservoirs—which secure the water supply for 4.6 million people – or treating wastewater for 60 cities and municipalities within the Ruhr and Lenne river basins, the organization places people and the environment at the heart of its activities, without neglecting the requirement for economic efficiency.

The Ruhr and its tributaries are managed as a single, integrated system, transcending political administrative boundaries. This river basin management approach strikes a fair balance between the diverse uses of and interests in the region’s rivers and lakes. It saves costs and serves both environmental protection and the public interest, in accordance with the European Water Framework Directive.

A River of Great Significance

The Ruhr serves as the lifeline and namesake for one of Europe’s largest metropolitan areas: the Ruhr region. Around 4.6 million people obtain their drinking and industrial water from the Ruhr and its tributaries. High population density and a large number of commercial and industrial enterprises result in water consumption per unit area that is roughly seven times higher than the national average. Ensuring that the Ruhr can meet the water supply needs of the entire region is the Ruhrverband’s mission. Since 1913, operating under the Ruhrverband Act, it has guaranteed a future-proof water management infrastructure for the river. To this end, the Ruhrverband operates approximately 1,000 water management facilities-including eight dams and five reservoirs-across the Ruhr’s 4,485-square-kilometer catchment area.

The Ruhrverband handles the planning, construction, financing, and operation of these facilities centrally for the entire Ruhr catchment area. It develops and pursues its corporate objectives in dialogue with its members-cities, municipalities, districts, water utilities, and commercial enterprises located within the service area.

Further information at www.ruhrverband.de