This City Uses Rainwater to Fight Heat, Drought and Flash Floods

Germany’s capital has found an innovative way to combat water shortages during rising temperatures and drought.

“This driving force behind this program was not only resource conservation and drought, but also preventing combined sewer overflows,” explains Astrif Hackenesch-Rump, a spokesperson for Berlin’s water works BWB.

Since the project’s start, nine facilities have already been established. Each time it rains, water will flow into massive underground basins and then be pumped to a purification plant before being released back into Berlin’s canals and rivers. Berlin itself tends to see rainwater percolating on concrete rather than being sucked up by soil and plants. The new project intends to ensure water ends up in the right places and does not mix with any additional pollutants or sewage. The collected rainwater and directed allocation are further designed to keep rising temperatures down and protect against flash floods.