Experiments and compromises can be costly in the long run

Planning sewage disposal for the long term with proven materials

Gert B. Carl, Cologne

Whether Cologne Cathedral or the Acropolis, the Cheops pyramid or the Great Wall of China, the Colieseum or the Maya temples, countless architectural works of art around the world show what man can accomplish with creativity and exceptional feats of planning. Protected by international agreements, and awarded prizes and titles such as “Cultural Heritage of Mankind”, the value and significance of such monuments is (made) clear to all. Tourists and students make pilgrimages to these places of grandiose human vision. What they see, however, is usually limited to that which presents itself to the eye above ground architecturally perfect, artistically fashioned overground structures. The elements underneath, however, often remain hidden from view, and their significance is thus rarely appreciated.

The ancient work as a model

Anyone who has studied the matter in any detail will know that, even in the ancient world, it was not only the artistry of the overground structures which indicated the cultural standard of a people, for comfort and quality of life were also associated with the well thought-out water supply and drainage systems of towns and palaces, the remains of which we marvel at even today.

Times have changed. The need for efficient sewage systems, however, remains unchanged – or has even increased. Complex sewage piping systems, in particular in the communal sewage networks, take account of these demands. Invisible to the public at large, they provide for the people and protection for the environment.

Germany as an example

Technological progress, architectural know-how and the high quality of the pipe materials contribute to the West German public sewer network being one of the best in the world. Over 400,000 km of public sewer network, and its condition, speak for themselves. If one wishes not to stay put but to keep progressing, it is essential to look back at proven designs whilst at the same time looking into the future. New, urgent tasks in sewage disposal mean that thinking and planning with an eye for the future are required in addition to experience – in particular in the new Lander of the Federal Republic, where the existing, failing sewer networks are in urgent need of rehabilitation and new ones must be planned and realised for the long term.