As part of its supply concept, and following extensive preliminary studies, the public utility Wasserversorgungsverband Tecklenburger Land (WTL) decided to build a new waterworks with a water treatment plant in the Dörenthe district of Ibbenbüren, a town in the Tecklenburger Land region. It will replace the previous facility built in 1952, which could not be upgraded and expanded during ongoing operation. A water extraction facility was also constructed on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. The surface water extracted there will be purified in the new water treatment plant, extracted as groundwater and untreated mixed water after it has infiltrated and passed through layers of soil, and then treated to produce drinking water.

The future water treatment plant was designed and dimensioned based among other things on filter tests conducted by the TZW (German Water Centre). The basic and detail engineering by the contracted engineering firm included, among other things, the construction of a filter hall with operations buildings, a pipe cellar and clean-water tanks. The engineers from Bremen-based engineering firm Lührs provided for 11 filter tanks, 3 of which contain activated carbon, numerous piping systems with flushing water pumps and blowers, a flocculation system, various basins and drying beds, and control technology for the control system of the entire facility.

For this project, WTL chose Dresden-based wks Technik GmbH as its main contractor for “Batch 11 – Plant Equipment”. WKS is one of the leading manufacturers of complex water management facilities in Germany. At its operating site in Thuringia, which also accommodates its Centre of Excellence for Waterworks, the decision was made to realise the plastic piping system component of the project using SIMONA products. The award of order also provided for the prefabrication of the piping systems in SIMONA® PP-H AlphaPlus®. Based on the isometric drawings by wks Technik GmbH, SIMONA’s Technical Service Centre produced manufacturing drawings. The entire prefabrication of the piping systems was completed at SIMONA’s in-house thermoplastics workshop in Ringsheim. “Thanks to the excellent coordination between wks Technik GmbH and our internal departments, we were able to respond flexibly to short-notice customer changes or alterations to the construction schedule,” says Jan Michel from the technical field sales department for the water treatment segment at SIMONA AG.

Chemical resistance and reduced surface roughness

The slightly raised chloride content (below the drinking water threshold) in the surface water extracted from the Dortmund-Ems Canal necessitated the use of an especially corrosion-resistant thermoplastic. As an alpha-nucleated polypropylene homopolymer (PP-H), SIMONA® PP-H AlphaPlus® is ideal for this application. For this project, subcontractor DFW Kunststoff- und Anlagenbau GmbH from Osterholz-Scharmbeck constructed two cascade aerators and a storage vessel from this material as well as two chemical storage tanks from PE 100.

The fine crystalline structure of SIMONA® PP-H AlphaPlus® has an extremely positive effect on the surface roughness of the media-carrying pipe interiors – a distinct advantage compared with the roughness values of other types of PP-H, especially in the case of larger diameters. This significantly reduces pipe friction and lowers pressure losses. As a result – depending on flow velocity – energy can be saved long-term for the transport of liquids. In addition, the extremely low surface roughness is a crucial quality criterion for minimising the risk of deposits on pipe interiors and thus preventing drinking water contamination. Moreover, SIMONA® PP-H AlphaPlus® offers higher impact strength along with increased rigidity (modulus of elasticity) compared with conventional PP-H materials.

Durable and efficient solutions in plastic

As one of the leading manufacturers and development partners in the field of thermoplastic products, SIMONA offers system solutions for various requirements in the water treatment segment. “The production of drinking water is a challenging task and necessitates the use of high-quality materials and efficient piping systems,” explains Daniel Gebhardt, market segment manager for water treatment at SIMONA, adding: “We work worldwide as a project partner with leading contractors to build safe, reliable, efficient and cost-effective equipment, components and piping systems. We welcome the opportunity to make our high level of product and service expertise in this area available for other exciting projects.”

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SIMONA – Global Thermoplastic Solutions

SIMONA AG is one of the leading manufacturers of thermoplastic products, with production facilities and sales offices around the globe, as well as an acknowledged development partner within this field. The company's portfolio includes semi-finished products (sheets, rods, profiles, welding rods), pipes and fittings. SIMONA employs approx. 1,750 people worldwide. The Group manufactures 35,000 products in Germany and abroad, offering best-in-class solutions tailored to a wide range of applications in the fields of industry, infrastructure, mobility, building, advertising and aquaculture. Annual production exceeds 150,000 tonnes. SIMONA AG is a stock corporation listed in the General Standard. The company's registered office is in Kirn, Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany). For further information, please refer to www.simona.de.
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