"Water-sensitive city" Bonn should make more of its rain
Bonn · The Environment Committee is launching a concept for the "water-sensitive" city. Among other things, this is intended to make better use of rainwater and also create more protection against flooding in Bonn.
The federal city is to become a "water-sensitive city": At its most recent meeting, Bonn's environmental committee decided to develop a binding concept that will, among other things, create new possibilities for overflow areas during heavy rainfall. Consumptive water from households as well as rainwater is also to be better utilised. All parties and parliamentary groups agreed to the corresponding budget proposal. A total of 200,000 euros has been made available in the city's 2021/2022 double budget for the creation of the concept.
One of the central points is the examination of possibilities for watering the tree population with seepage and runoff water. In this way, the urban greenery is to be supplied from as close a vicinity as possible. To this end, streets, traffic areas and open spaces that can be connected to collection systems are to be recorded. In addition, it should be examined how green spaces or playgrounds can be used as overflow areas in the event of heavy rainfall.
There should also be fixed guidelines for new buildings
The concept should also include new possibilities for securing, creating or restoring near-natural overflows to contain possible flooding during heavy rainfall. According to the motion, the administration should investigate funding possibilities from the fields of water management and urban development. For new buildings, too, fixed guidelines should be created on how service water can be collected and used, and in addition, appropriate underground structures should be created for road construction.
Among other things, the head of the Department of Environment and Urban Greenery campaigned for the approval of a system in which rainwater would be absorbed and stored in the city, only to be channelled and drained away. The change to a "sponge city" thus initiated was urgently needed, explained David Baier. The "valuable asset water" must finally be collected and used across the board, said councillor Nico Janicke, who sits on the committee for the SPD: "More buffer areas for floods are indispensable and we can irrigate the city greenery," he mentioned as further pro-arguments.
Idea: Use rainwater directly on site
At the request of the FDP faction in the city council, the resolution was finally supplemented by an examination of the creation of a cistern system to supply areas with high water consumption with collected rainwater. One example is the irrigation of the courtyard garden in particularly dry periods through a collection system over the area of the uni-roof.
(Original text: Alexander Barth; Translation: Mareike Graepel)
