The exact knowledge of the current ground-water levels, and hence also of groundwater stocks, is imperative for the State of Berlin, since 100% of the drinking-water supply (approx. 212 million m3 in 2005) is obtained from groundwater. This groundwater is pumped at nine waterworks, almost entirely from the city’s own area. Only the Stolpe Waterworks on the northern outskirts obtain water from Brandenburg, but also supply Berlin (Fig. 1).
Groundwater Levels of the Main Aquifer and Panke Valley Aquifer 2006
![Fig. 1: Location of the nine waterworks supplying Berlin with drinking-water in May 2006](/imgscaler/Zcu8VUynOYnh_aeJW82whvcuO5ytp3mwWBIhT2AnpNk/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAwNi9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lZjIxMl8wMS5naWY.jpg?ts=1696251658)
Fig. 1: Location of the nine waterworks supplying Berlin with drinking-water in May 2006
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 2: Phenomenology of Underground Water](/imgscaler/8VXE1QxX7L2ay9KILTpCBFCtWkn0ACCfuoewTlx8lGk/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAwNi9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lZjIxMl8wMi5naWY.jpg?ts=1696251663)
Fig. 2: Phenomenology of Underground Water
Image: from Hölting 1996
![Fig. 3: Hydrogeological Terms](/imgscaler/rIw0V9oevKoVfK4nvlsXTeugdgza_s0oa8aDMtmgOhI/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAwNi9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lZjIxMl8wMy5qcGc.jpg?ts=1696251649)
Fig. 3: Hydrogeological Terms
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 4a: Groundwater infiltrates into bodies of water](/imgscaler/xdRsgJJ5xZ-i5AZ5zMBThg9vjsK9jI3-UMq_7HD9ADc/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAwNi9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lZjIxMl8wNGEuanBn.jpg?ts=1696251700)
Fig. 4a: Groundwater infiltrates into bodies of water
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 4b: Bank-filtered water caused by flood water: bodies of water infiltrate into groundwater](/imgscaler/EN6fcPQMkM6dsXlpb8fcRwRPyM59C9dM22zOUqtyKes/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAwNi9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lZjIxMl8wNGIuanBn.jpg?ts=1696251688)
Fig. 4b: Bank-filtered water caused by flood water: bodies of water infiltrate into groundwater
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 4c: Bank-filtered water caused by discharge of groundwater: caused by the lowering of the groundwater by wells, bodies of water infiltrate into groundwater](/imgscaler/EEZY_ElLAt27eqGEcR69olVsgzs2PQ4cjm1U0Sk9gXA/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAwNi9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lZjIxMl8wNGMuanBn.jpg?ts=1696251644)
Fig. 4c: Bank-filtered water caused by discharge of groundwater: caused by the lowering of the groundwater by wells, bodies of water infiltrate into groundwater
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 5: Geological Outline Map of Berlin](/imgscaler/JDcHk0mkjRFcJGfmgxyhawX3Y4SOQMqzYOfDElK5LJM/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAwNi9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lZjIxMl8wNS5naWY.jpg?ts=1696251668)
Fig. 5: Geological Outline Map of Berlin
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 6: Hydrogeological Cross-Section of Berlin](/imgscaler/tbyFw3KqkZBAXjIi0wnN5o0qCvSGFCt6mJlmmU2qChM/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAwNi9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lZjIxMl8wNl9nci5naWY.jpg?ts=1696251692)
Fig. 6: Hydrogeological Cross-Section of Berlin
Image: from Limberg, 2003
![Fig. 7 The unconfined Panke Valley aquifer (aquifer 1) in the northwest of Berlin is situated above the main aquifer (aquifer 2), that is confined in this area](/imgscaler/3PtOQrGt3V3wsjI_jRipnG8YY0RMgAvf756hgJuojTY/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAwNi9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lZjIxMl8wNy5qcGc.jpg?ts=1696251648)
Fig. 7 The unconfined Panke Valley aquifer (aquifer 1) in the northwest of Berlin is situated above the main aquifer (aquifer 2), that is confined in this area
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin