Water management
Use or "consumption"?
The water required for snowmaking at the Sauerland Winter Sports Arena is surface water, mostly from springs and streams. It is collected in specially constructed storage ponds during the summer and autumn. After the snow melts, the vast majority of the water returns locally to the soil, streams and groundwater. Any water that evaporates or sublimates also remains part of the natural water cycle.
This is what is known as ‘blue’ water. This term refers to water used for irrigation, similar to the water used in agriculture to water plants. In contrast, ‘grey’ water refers to water that has been contaminated, for example by fertilisers, pesticides, domestic or industrial waste; it can only be reused to a limited extent and generally needs to be treated.
‘Green’ water refers to natural precipitation, including snow.
Snowmaking water is and remains clear, pure water
No additives are added to the water during snowmaking. Just as with natural snowfall, the water droplets freeze on contact with the cold outside air. The water required for snowmaking is not contaminated by the snowmaking process and does not need to be treated. Once the snow has melted, it returns to the natural water cycle. If we regard artificially produced snow as a ‘product’, its use ends in a natural process: it melts of its own accord as temperatures rise and re-enters the water cycle – without any additional energy input.
A small proportion of the snow can change directly from a solid state to water vapour through sublimation. Even in this case, the water is not lost but remains part of the natural water cycle.
Comparison of water requirements
- Snow tourism uses relatively little water for snowmaking: in the winter of 2021/22, 532,000 m³ of water was used for snowmaking at the Sauerland Winter Sports Arena. This generates hardly any wastewater.
- Producing beef from intensive farming requires 5,991 litres of water per kilogram. For beef from extensive pasture farming, the figure is as high as 12,229 litres.
- Each day a skier spends at the resort accounts for 650 to 850 litres of water, resulting in ticket revenue of €30.45 per cubic metre.
- Producing 1 Maß of beer requires 300 litres of water. This generates revenue of €2.93 per cubic metre consumed; this process produces wastewater.
- Producing half a roast chicken requires 2,000 litres and generates revenue of €2.60 per m³.
Reservoirs in the Sauerland Winter Sports Arena
The reservoirs in the Sauerland Winter Sports Arena have a combined capacity of around 331,000 m³ of water.
Winterberg: 5 reservoirs with a combined capacity of 220,000 cubic metres
Willingen: 1 reservoir with a capacity of 50,000 cubic metres
Neuastenberg: 1 reservoir with a capacity of 10,000 cubic metres
Altastenberg: 1 reservoir with a capacity of 26,000 cubic metres
Bödefeld-Hunau: 1 pond with 7,000 cubic metres
Züschen: 1 pond with 5,000 cubic metres
Olpe-Fahlenscheid with 5,000 cubic metres
Other smaller ponds with a total of around 8,000 cubic metres: 2 in Winterberg, 1 at the source of the Ruhr, 1 in Usseln, 1 in Schmallenberg
For comparison:
Lake Hennesee near Meschede has a capacity of 38.4 million cubic metres.
There are 8 reservoirs in the Sauerland region with a total capacity of 463 million cubic metres.
Approximately 234,000 m³ of water is required, according to calculations, for the initial snowmaking on the artificial slopes. This corresponds to around 0.6 per cent of the volume of Lake Hennesee.
Surface water is used for snowmaking, not groundwater. Only small proportions of the water used for snowmaking are drawn from the drinking water network. The drinking water supply takes priority. In the event of a drinking water shortage, these small proportions from the drinking water network are not used for snowmaking.