SUMMARY AND KEY MESSAGES
SUMMARY AND KEY MESSAGES Performance People in Germany have drinking water of exceptional quality available at all times, in sufficient quantities. In addition to the good resource situation in Germany, the first-class technical standards and a range of voluntary measures taken by the water sector contribute to the protection of natural resources. Wastewater treatment in Germany is also at a very high level. In contrast to many other EU countries, almost 100 per cent of wastewater is treated in accordance with the highest EU treatment standards. Through their work, drinking water suppliers and wastewater disposal companies thus make a considerable contribution to a sustainable and comprehensive protection of water. The key performance areas of water supply and wastewater disposal in Germany are long-term reliability of supply and disposal, high drinking water quality, high wastewater disposal standards, high
customer satisfaction, and careful management of water resources whilst maintaining economic efficiency. These aspects are considered in the 5-pillar benchmarking concept. Using benchmarking in various projects throughout Germany, companies have markedly improved in all performance areas. In order to remain fit for the future, the water sector needs to be efficient, cover its costs, and be transparent for customers. Benchmarking projects are a key instrument in this respect. The main requirements for the success of the benchmarking and performance indicator projects are that they are confidential and voluntary, however, consistency and compatibility of data collected are also essential. To this end, the sector continuously works to further develop its performance indicator systems.
First-class technical standards and compliance with the strict legal requirements result in the high quality and long-term reliability of German drinking water supply and wastewater disposal.
08 PROFILE OF THE GERMAN WATER SECTOR 2020
