Would you like a glass of brown water?
Woody Allen, Manhattan 1980.

That's something the inhabitants of Karsdorf in Sachsen-Anhalt definitely cannot laugh about. What in the case of Woody Allen could be attributed to old water pipes that hadn't been used for a long time is of a different nature in Karsdorf. The drinking water pumped up out of a depth of more than 100 metres already contains a lot of iron. That's not only unsavoury but also violating today's drinking water regulation.

New limits instead of old borders
Reunification also brought new limits for the quality of drinking water. The brown water is no longer permissible in drinking glasses, nor anywhere else. To cut a long story short: a new water works is needed. HPC has already built one in the neighbouring town of Thalwinkel. So HPC is no unknown quantity here and is invited to take part in the competitive bidding. Guess who's won? Yes, you're right ...

Everything is in flux - HPC keeps track of things
We plan the water works, including underground collecting tanks, buildings and plant facilities. Next we set up a fence. And that's it? Not quite. That was only the planning. So we call for tenders for the implementation of the work. We sift through the received documents and make proposals for the placing of orders. HPC then takes charge of site management and construction monitoring. Finished? Almost, the keys have yet to be handed over.

Open-minded visitors
It's open-day meeting on the site - after a construction period of one year, residents are curious. What happens to our brown water? The iron contained in the water is oxidized by means of compressed air and is then filtered. The pump operates at a performance of 90 cubic metres per hour. And what about the building costs? 1.2 million marks is the answer. Planners, plant manufacturers and construction companies involved are bombarded with questions. That's thirsty work. The day ends with a water tasting session. Cheers.