Hamburg Wasser: sales record and billions in investments in sight!

Hamburg Wasser: sales record and billions in investments in sight!

On June 18, 2025, Hamburg Wasser will present its annual balance sheet for 2024, and the numbers look promising. After several years of decline, the company is recording water sales increasing again, which forms the basis for the increasing group sales of almost 674 million euros. This means an increase of 43.8 million euros compared to the previous year. Water consumption in Hamburg amounts to 115.7 million cubic meters, which corresponds to an increase of 1.6 percent compared to 2023. What is particularly exciting is that the increase in the population in the supply area by around 100,000 inhabitants obviously did not have a negative impact on sales figures - 2024 was a wet year.

However, profit does not remain unaffected by the changes in the market: it fell by around 3.3 percent to 106.2 million euros. While half of the income from the waterworks, around 37.5 million euros, flows into the city budget, the wastewater areas keep 67.7 million euros in reserves to secure future investments. The plans are ambitiously aimed at investing around 1.14 billion euros by 2028, with 616 million euros going into water and wastewater networks and 522 million euros into facilities.

New challenges in wastewater management

It's not just the water supply that's important. A central project is the planned Vera II sewage sludge incineration plant, the costs of which have increased from 196 million euros to 297.2 million euros. From 2029, sewage sludge may no longer be used for agriculture and must be burned. Together, Vera II and the existing Vera I are expected to process around 97,000 tons of sewage sludge annually, thereby setting important standards for sustainable wastewater management. These measures are no coincidence, as the EU has adopted the new version of the Municipal Waste Water Directive (KARL), which requires a fourth treatment level for sewage treatment plants that treat wastewater from over 150,000 inhabitants by 2045. The aim is to remove trace substances that have not yet been recorded. Part of the costs should be borne by the manufacturers of these substances, especially the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

Sustainable water management has long been a priority in Hamburg. The protection and management of water bodies are public tasks that date back to the 19th century. With European regulations such as the EC Water Framework Directive and the EU Flood Risk Management Directive, these tasks are clearly defined. However, the challenges posed by climate change and extreme weather present water management with new tasks: longer periods of drought and local heavy rain events have a negative impact on groundwater recharge and require innovative approaches to management. Securing the public water supply remains one of the central challenges facing municipal authorities.

Future prospects

Hamburg's drinking water supply is nevertheless secured for the next few decades, thanks to water extraction from depths of 90 to 450 meters, which is independent of periods of drought and heavy rain. Currently, peak supply is at least 470,000 cubic meters per day, with the goal of reaching the 500,000 cubic meter mark by 2030. Per capita consumption in Hamburg is currently 107 liters per day, compared to 135 liters 20 years ago. These positive figures show that Hamburg is well on the way to ensuring a sustainable and safe water supply in the future.

With a clever mix of innovation and responsibility, Hamburg Wasser gets to the root of the challenges facing water management. NDR reports on the pleasing development during Hamburg water provides detailed insights into future projects and Municipal Breviary clearly outlines the legal framework for water management. The challenges are great, but the prospects for Hamburg are bright.