Water Problem At Tesla Plant Near Berlin Is Now Solved

One of the biggest still existing points of controversy around the plant of the US automaker Tesla, which is being built near Berlin, has now come to a solution: the necessary contract for the water development has been signed.

The water supply has been one of the key points at which critics mobilized against the settlement of the plant since the beginning. The fear was expressed that Tesla could make the people in the region dispute the already scarce water and that the basic supply of the population would no longer be guaranteed. Even reduced demand forecasts and alternative supply concepts did little to change this.

However, the people in charge saw fewer problems here and the main focus was on the details of how the plant is supplied with the water it needs. The Strausberg-Erkner water association, which led the negotiations with Tesla, is responsible on-site. The association members agreed to the final agreement three weeks ago. Suddenly, however, Tesla was a long time coming.

1.45 million cubic meters of water

It was expected that the company would sign the contract directly after the long back and forth. However, Tesla has been very careful with the documents. Last night, however, the signed papers of the development contract were received by the water association, as its head André Bähler has now confirmed to the RBB. According to the agreement, the association is to supply the factory with a maximum of 1.45 million cubic meters of water per year. On the other hand, 0.95 million cubic meters of wastewater would be removed again. As part of the contract, Tesla undertook to provide the necessary connections and to ensure that variously defined pollutant limit values ​​are complied with for wastewater. Furthermore, the company pays to build cost subsidies, so that it is ensured that the necessary investments of the water board are not passed on to the general public.

However, the contract only covers the first stage of expansion of the plant and is the decisive basis for the approval process to be completed now. An expansion of the plant is already planned and further agreements will have to be made for this. Among other things, this also applies to the question of whether the existing sewage treatment plant capacities of the water board will be expanded or completely new ones built.