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. 207 million cu.m. in 2010) is obtained from groundwater. This groundwater is pumped at nine waterworks, almost entirely within the territory of the city. Only the Stolpe Waterworks on the northern outskirts obtains water from Brandenburg, but also supplies Berlin with approx. 9 % of the city’s total intake (Fig. 1).
Groundwater Levels of the Main Aquifer and Panke Valley Aquifer 2011
![Fig. 1: Location of the nine waterworks which supply Berlin with drinking water, as of May 2011](/imgscaler/zYiXhiewgFxsXlqvnU4qjc9k3M1POXP4Fz873SLgsyQ/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxMS9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzJkMDQ0ZDVkODQ5OGQ3YThiNjQxYTM4NzYzNzRhNzY4X2VtMjEyXzAxLmdpZg.jpg?ts=1696256623)
Fig. 1: Location of the nine waterworks which supply Berlin with drinking water, as of May 2011
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 2: Phenomenology of Underground Water](/imgscaler/JX9Ice1YEQ_LKYILJv8iiIMNBaBHYFsDEAOCqznd28w/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxMS9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzIwNDE4MzNmMDA5OTRlNDJlY2IzOWY2YzdlY2IwOTBmX2VtMjEyXzAyLmdpZg.jpg?ts=1696256630)
Fig. 2: Phenomenology of Underground Water
Image: from Hölting 1996
![Fig. 3: Hydrogeological Terms](/imgscaler/OI36EODfSQSMd0mMV6XPMN45zB09eElBhfskOLwk530/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxMS9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzY5NDM2NjI5ZWU1NDMwNDMxYWNlYjJkMzZjNGNiNzAwX2VtMjEyXzAzLmpwZw.jpg?ts=1696256626)
Fig. 3: Hydrogeological Terms
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 4a: Groundwater infiltrates into bodies of water](/imgscaler/r-E_CfxJ9SsqxtU-ia0G7HrnKvtM3T9u4J7nyK7ftYo/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxMS9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lbTIxMl8wNGEuanBn.jpg?ts=1696256610)
Fig. 4a: Groundwater infiltrates into bodies of water
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 4b: Bank-filtered water caused by flood water: surface water infiltrates into groundwater](/imgscaler/rwtuc6Pe_t6oQZFArrH3Jl_C-GHkc0t8LvKvcY7rt30/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxMS9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lbTIxMl8wNGIuanBn.jpg?ts=1696256618)
Fig. 4b: Bank-filtered water caused by flood water: surface water infiltrates into groundwater
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 4c: Bank-filtered water caused by discharge of groundwater: due to the drop in the groundwater caused by wells, surface water infiltrates into the groundwater](/imgscaler/xQAtqnDeNV3r3WHz5EJtWAmRtsXjxjz925zQ2tY29Uk/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxMS9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9lbTIxMl8wNGMuanBn.jpg?ts=1696256604)
Fig. 4c: Bank-filtered water caused by discharge of groundwater: due to the drop in the groundwater caused by wells, surface water infiltrates into the groundwater
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 5: Morphological Outline Map of Berlin](/imgscaler/gkfBTewNOw79WGWgwMSrnf34flKv3Ky8vpSzVUayu8I/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxMS9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplX2JiNDJjMDAwNzM5ZWQ2ZTIxMTJlZmJmZGZmNGE4OTAzX2VtMjEyXzA1LmpwZw.jpg?ts=1696256600)
Fig. 5: Morphological Outline Map of Berlin
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 6: Geological Outline Map of Berlin](/imgscaler/OiKlJLNYKvGlJ9gBdEsnCrmR75gXyy3j2oORKt3lq20/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxMS9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzlhYzcxYTJjYjk2ODc0MzAwMzkzY2E4ZjAzNDE0MGFiX2VtMjEyXzA2LmdpZg.jpg?ts=1696256612)
Fig. 6: Geological Outline Map of Berlin
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 7: Schematical Hydrogeological Cross-Section of Berlin from South to North](/imgscaler/A2_OcZ1eLTDhetkIvJx08DCtwklTIv2gKTdIigFcwA0/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxMS9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzU0YjI3MmI2MjdiMGNhY2FmNDJmNGMwODBjMTA0MDc4X2VtMjEyXzA3X2dyLmdpZg.jpg?ts=1696256642)
Fig. 7: Schematical Hydrogeological Cross-Section of Berlin from South to North
Image: from Limberg, 2007
![Fig. 8: The unconfined Panke Valley aquifer (Aquifer 1) in the northwestern area of the Barnim Plateau is situated above the main aquifer (Aquifer 2), which is confined in this area](/imgscaler/8OXjPVwcasm7VVfkta44envPjgPmGQyUeJ5pTGNT6VA/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxMS9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzEwMmEyYzY3NjcxNDY4MjI5YzEwMTA3ZjgwNTQ3NjMxX2VtMjEyXzA4LmpwZw.jpg?ts=1696256603)
Fig. 8: The unconfined Panke Valley aquifer (Aquifer 1) in the northwestern area of the Barnim Plateau is situated above the main aquifer (Aquifer 2), which is confined in this area
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin