Seeberg receives modern water pipes for allotments - finally progress!

Seeberg receives modern water pipes for allotments - finally progress!

The allotment garden colony on Berberitzenweg in Seeberg is facing significant modernization: the old water pipe network is to be replaced by a modern ring water pipe. This was announced by the city of Cologne in a current message. According to Rundschau online for the first time in 2016 made the application to renew the water supply, but it really got into the roles 2020 when the original application was approved. Pandemy-related delays led to the implementation of it.

The existing water pipe connection in the gardens dates from the 1970s and is in need of renovation because the pipes have become less and age -related. Problems due to the lack of separate water meters also lead to a joint billing of water consumption, which is anything but ideal for the allotment gardener community. The total cost of the project amounts to 474,000 euros, with the club members have to bear a share of 29,000 euros. Even if an application for funding in the amount of 294,000 euros was rejected by the state of North Rhine -Westphalia, the financing is to be secured by savings in a similar project in Klettenberg. An official start of construction is still pending.

rules and regulations in allotment gardens

The situation around water and power connections in allotment gardens can vary very different. Not all allotment garden associations offer these supply options. It is therefore recommended to find out about the supply situation in advance at the responsible allotment garden association. According to dein-kleingarten.de , the installation of water connections and the use of rainwater is subject to certain regulations. For example, rainwater may only be used as irrigation water.

The derivation of rainwater outside of your own plot is prohibited, and toilet facilities are usually the matter of the allotment garden association. Strict provisions prohibit the use of water toilets with a seeper pit and the construction of wastewater systems in the allotment garden. The use of electrical pumps for the water withdrawal is also not allowed, which reinforced the challenges with which the garden tenants are faced with.

ecological importance of allotment garden systems

Allotment gardens and allotments not only have an important social function, they also contribute significantly to the ecological diversity in urban areas. They are an important part of the public green, especially in metropolitan areas like Cologne. The City of Leipzig emphasizes that a suitable water supply is indispensable to ensure the horticultural use of the systems. If the water supply is missing, this directly affects the possibility of manage the gardens accordingly.

For the allotment gardeners, it is their responsibility to organize the water supply and to decide on the establishment of community water withdrawal points. A “water order” could help here to regulate the existing challenges and to clarify the members when it comes to water supply.

Overall, it can be seen that the renewal of the water pipes in Seeberg is urgently necessary and that there are many challenges on both the practical and on the regulatory side. The allotment garden tenants are now hoping for a rapid implementation of the measures so that they can use their gardens in full again.