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Pia Oetjen
The topic of water is of particular importance at Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) and part of the environmental management. On this web page we would like to present some projects on water use at LUH, as they make a special contribution to the sustainable action at the university.
The projects at LUH are oriented towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 „Clean water and sanitation“.
Total water consumption and costs at Leibniz University Hannover
Following the significant decline in consumption in 2020 due to the partial closure of LUH caused by the Corona crisis, water consumption has risen sharply again. After the high consumption levels following the "drought summer" of 2022, water usage has slightly decreased and, as of 2023, has returned to pre-Corona levels. Nevertheless, efforts should continue to further reduce water consumption. However, LUH relies on water for plant irrigation in the Welfengarten and the horticulture in Herrenhausen. It is important to adhere to the watering schedules set by the city of Hanover and generally use water sparingly.
For the irrigation of the outdoor areas at the Moritzwinkel Sports Institute, well water is used. Due to the closure of horticulture in Ruthe, no water is currently drawn from the River Leine there. The large wave channel of the Ludwig-Franzius Institute for Hydraulic Engineering uses the nearby Mittelland Canal for water extraction (Source: Environmental Report 2022, p. 37).
Example projects on the topic of water at Leibniz University Hannover
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Rainwater-toilet at Leibniz University Hannover
On the sports campus in the new building 1806 (Moritzwinkel), rainwater is used for flushing the toilets.
A rainwater cistern first collects the rainwater, which is then pumped to the toilets via a separate pipe network and a so-called rainwater manager. Rainwater and drinking water shouldn’t be mixed, which is why the rainwater manager also functions as a separation station. After the collected rainwater has been used up, drinking water can also be fed into the mains supply to operate the toilet flushes, if required.
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Green roofs
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LUH
With regard to the current development of the climate, the overheating and drought, green roofs are increasingly in focus.
At Leibniz University Hannover, there is a various amount of green roofs for climate protection. Selected roofs are gradually being converted into green roofs and it will be examined whether it is possible to combine the green roofs with a photovolataic system.
Green roofs offer several advantages:
- Noise reduction
- design diversity
- additional green and usable areas, biodiversity
- Improvement of air quality
- Reduction of overheating
- Rainwater retention and reduction of sewer loads
- Energy saving
Useful plant species for green roofs are mainly perennials and grasses of various kinds.
