The situation of cooling water in the Federal Republic of Germany 1976

Approximately 75% of the water demand in the Federal Republic of Germany are being used for cooling purposes. In spite of this important share, the topic of the discharge of waste heat was slumbering in nothingness until the end of the 'sixties. The principle according to which power plants were only designed for fresh water cooling had only been broken in a few areas (such as the Rhenish brown coal district or in the Ruhr pit coal area). After the Rhine had been included in the power plant design, the public interest changed lastingly. A problem which remains to be settled is that one of the limits ot the extraction of water for cooling purposes. Often people fail to see that in addition to the other uses, the waters also fulfil the important function of supplying make-up water for cooling purposes. In some regions, this supply can only be secured by means of large-area economics of water supply and distribution (artificial measures). All questions pertaining to the cooling water requirements and how they are to be met should soon be settled in fruitful discussions with the representatives of the Laender. (orig.)