The German Blue Community / Blue City of Büdingen celebrated World Water Day 2025 – with large crowds at the 3rd Büdingen Water Day.
On 22 March 2025, the International World Water Day, Stadtwerke Büdingen, together with the Blue Community working group, opened its doors and invited citizens to the 3rd Büdingen Water Day. More than 300 visitors, including many families, took the opportunity to find out about water supply and wastewater disposal in Büdingen. The event featured a varied programme that appealed to both technical enthusiasts and families.
A look behind the scenes
Guided tours of Büdingen’s sewage treatment plant and the “Kalkofen” drinking water tower on Vonhäuser Höhe were particularly popular. The plant managers explained the technical processes and the importance of these facilities for water supply and environmental protection.
Many visitors were surprised to learn that the elevated tank not only serves as a two-day drinking water reservoir, but also provides an important fire-fighting water reserve. At the wastewater treatment plant, visitors were shown how effectively wastewater is cleaned before being discharged into the Wolfsbach River. At the same time, it was pointed out that medicines flushed down the toilet cannot be completely removed and their residues pollute the water cycle.
Water as a human right – the Blue Community movement in Büdingen
The volunteers of the Blue Community working group have done valuable work in raising awareness of the importance of water as a human right. Büdingen has been a member of the international Blue Community since 2022 and is committed to protecting water as a public good and against the privatisation of water rights. Numerous discussions highlighted the importance of protecting water sustainably and using it responsibly.
A special highlight of the day was the blind tasting at the elevated tank. Here, the participants were able to compare the water from the Diebach wells with a well-known brand of mineral water – without knowing which was which. The result surprised many: More than 80% of the participants preferred the Büdinger tap water. This result underlines the high quality of our drinking water and shows that regional water is not only more environmentally friendly, but also tastes good.
Culinary delights and lively dialogue
In addition to the informative programme, there was no shortage of culinary delights: visitors were able to fortify themselves with home-made cakes, sausages and refreshing drinks, and engage in lively dialogue in a relaxed atmosphere.
The 3rd Büdingen Water Day was a complete success and impressively demonstrated the importance of a transparent and citizen-oriented water management. Stadtwerke Büdingen and the Blue Community working group are delighted with the high level of interest and are already planning future events to further raise awareness of our most important resource.
Many thanks to all visitors for their great interest and to the volunteer drivers of the citizen bus, who made the journey to the elevated tank more pleasant.
