Tesla Giga Berlin’s Water Supply Needs Could Soon Be Quenched, as Promising Aquifer Found Near Factory

Image: Tesla

The Ministry of the Environment of Brandenburg reported that as a result of exploration work, they discovered an underground source of drinking water. It is located near the Tesla Giga Berlin and, if successful, could help with the factory's water supply for future phases of expansion.

According to the Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment, a promising source of quality drinking groundwater has been discovered near Hangelsberg. This is great news, as it could potentially solve the issue of water supply for the region and the Tesla factory. For now, more testing is required, but the discovery of a large aquifer at Hangelsberg is encouraging.

The Brandenburg Environment Ministry (MLUK) announced the good news in a press release (via Berlinergy/Twitter). According to the state geological service, water exploration in Hangelsberg has shown that there is a second extensive aquifer. It is 20 to 50 meters thick and has “groundwater quality suitable for drinking water treatment,” said Dr. Birgit Futterer of the State Office for Geology, Mining and Raw Materials.

#Gigaberlin 🇩🇪News: According to the Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment, a promising groundwater supply of drinking water quality has been found near the Gigafactory,
raising hope that Tesla's and the population's water problem may be solved soon. MOZ pic.twitter.com/MvxyNE8qFV

— Berlinergy (@Berlinergy) May 3, 2023

The surveyed area east of the highway between Hangelsberg and Kienbaum is suitable for a water supplier to test pump performance there to prove the presence of groundwater, she said. Depending on the results, the responsible WSE water supplier may submit the necessary applications for the use of groundwater resources. So WSE has “all essential information” to take the next steps, MLUK writes.

For the 170,000 people who live in the area of the association and Tesla, this seems like good news for solving the problem of water supply. The WSE currently supplies drinking water to 13 localities and three towns in Markisch-Oderland, Oder-Spree, and the Barnim region, and is responsible for wastewater disposal.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, based on data received, “no danger from the rise of saline deep waters is apparent for this aquifer.” The catchment area seems large enough, “to realize low-conflict extractability of groundwater to the extent required.” The desired volume is expected to include about 4 million cubic meters of water, according to earlier statements from the ministry. Also likely “no relevant conflicts with third-party water rights,” according to MLUK.

In the coming weeks, all documentation must be prepared and submitted to the State Office for Environmental Protection (LfU) as a customer. In parallel, the State Office for Geology, Mining and Raw Materials will research the entire study area in detail using the geoelectric method.

“Thus, an area-wide mapping of the fresh- and salt-water boundary in the subsurface will additionally be available in summer. The preliminary exploration as the first partial step towards a water law permit was thus carried out in a target-oriented and successful manner.”

© 2023, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.

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