Almetalzentral waterworks
The Almetalzentralwasserwerk was the first central water supply for the places Siddinghausen , Weine , Eickhoff , Steinhausen , Brenken , Ahden , Wewelsburg , Oberntudorf and Niederntudorf in the former Büren district (today Paderborn district ). The waterworks was inaugurated on May 22nd, 1907, and closed on December 31st, 1979. The name derives from the river Alme , on which the mentioned localities are located.
history
prehistory
Before a central water supply was set up, it was difficult to ensure the daily supply of usable and drinking water in the above-mentioned localities , as they are located on the thickest karst layer in northern Germany. Rainwater seeps away quickly here. The people therefore tapped springs and water veins whose water was hardly filtered by the lime and stored rainwater in cisterns.
However, springs and water veins only carry water periodically, and cisterns were quickly emptied in dry spells. Getting water from the alpine pastures was only possible with great effort, and the river occasionally dries up in late summer. The consequence of this was constant supply insecurity and illnesses due to poor hygiene at the water points.
Establishing a plan
Due to the problematic water supply of the mentioned localities, on October 14, 1902, the district administrator of the Büren district, Karl von Savigny , commissioned the civil engineer Leithäuser to draw up a plan for a central water supply for the mentioned localities except Siddinghausen, which was only connected in 1950, including one Cost estimate.
This was completed in 1904 and provided for the use of some springs in the Ringelstein Forest for the supply of the waterworks, which were conveniently located in terms of height, so that the necessary water pressure would come about through a natural gradient. The water quality was also sufficient for drinking water according to the standards of the time.
The main line should run along the Brilon – Büren – Almestraße – Kapellenberg district road, then continue along the small Hellweg to Oberntudorf. Each location should have a continuous elevated tank .
The district president approved the plan, so that on September 9, 1905 the first association meeting of the Almetalzentralwasserwerk could take place. The chairpersons were District Administrator von Savigny, District Administrator Rempe from Büren and District Administrator Rochell from Salzkotten , and all the mayors of the Büren Office and eight voting representatives from the communities of Obern- and Niederntudorf took part in the meeting. The construction project was decided, for which 400,000 Reichsmarks had to be raised. Of the costs, the Prussian state and the province of Westphalia took on 100,000 RM, the Büren district 22,000 RM and the Provinzial-Feuersozietät (legal successor is now Provinzial NordWest ) 20,000 RM. The remainder, as well as the costs for ongoing operations, had to be borne by the municipalities, based on the expected water consumption.
Construction and inauguration
The project was put out to tender on February 7, 1906. The majority of the work was carried out by external specialist companies, with a local bricklaying company only taking over the source frames.
To celebrate the inauguration on May 22nd, 1907, a festival took place in all of the affiliated villages, the climax of which was a visit by the festival society by means of a special train on the Almetalbahn - also co-initiated by District Administrator von Savigny . Chronicles and newspapers report on lavish parties with the participation of various music bands and clubs.
Operation and expansion
Soon after the inauguration, it turned out that the springs in the Ringelsteiner Forest could not meet the water requirement all year round. The calculated demand for water was 550 m³ daily, but only 230 m³ were available during dry periods. In 1910, therefore, some springs near Kneblinghausen were opened up, but the demand continued to rise, so that one had to make do with the purchase of water from the Burania cement works in Büren. In 1920 a 33 meter deep well was built near Büren, the water of which was fed to the waterworks by means of a pump.
At the 25th anniversary of the waterworks in 1932 it was already clear that this was not enough either, as there was often a lack of water in the western communities of Wewelsburg, Obern- and Niederntudorf in summer. As early as 1929, 132 Wewelsburg residents had drawn attention to this situation with letters to the editor and a written complaint to the district administrator. Therefore, it was decided to build a well near Wewelsburg, which was completed in 1938 with a depth of 63 meters. However, the operation of the necessary pumping system was too costly, so that it was discontinued in 1952 and the well in Büren was equipped with a more powerful pump instead.
During the further operation, the waterworks was constantly expanded. A new well was built in the Almetal opposite Menkeberg, Brenken received a new connection line, the pressure was increased by a new line in Barkhausen and new elevated tanks for Wewelsburg and Niederntudorf. In 1979 the daily water pumping capacity was approx. 2000 m³.
resolution
The Almetalzentralwasserwerk was merged with the waterworks of the city of Büren with effect from the end of the year as a result of the municipal reorganization that came into force on January 1, 1975 through the Sauerland / Paderborn Act . Most of the affiliated municipalities were merged with the city of Büren to form the greater municipality of Büren, and since there were already connections with the waterworks of the city of Büren, the merger took account of realities. At this point in time it was also clear that these localities would be supplied a few years later from a common source, the Aabachsee , which was still under construction .
Water monument in Wewelsburg
As a thank you for setting up the Almetalzentralwasserwerk, the affiliated municipalities erected a memorial stone to District Administrator Karl von Savigny shortly after the inauguration, which was initially set up in Niederntudorf at Lohweg 16 and was moved in 1931 near the Wewelsburg train station, where it still stands today. This bears the inscription:
The founder of the Almetal-Central waterworks / District Administrator Dr. from Savigny zu Büren / in grateful memory / built by the communities / Ahden, Barkhausen, Brenken, Steinhausen, / Wewelsburg, Oberntudorf and Niederntudorf
The memorial stone, as well as the lavish festivities for the inauguration of the waterworks, testify to the importance of the same for the people in the neighboring villages.
literature
- Björn Czeschick: 100 years Savigny-Brunnen in Wewelsburg - On the history of the Almetal-Zentral-Wasserwerk, in: Die Warte, home magazine for the Paderborn and Höxter districts, no. 136, Christmas 2007, pp. 37–40.