Exact knowledge of the current groundwater levels, and hence also of the groundwater resources, is crucial for the State of Berlin, since the water for the public water supply of Berlin (235 million m3 in the year 2018) is provided from groundwater. The groundwater is pumped at nine waterworks, almost entirely within the city area, with the exception of the waterworks Stolpe. It is located on the northern outskirts of the city and pumps water from wells that are located in Brandenburg (approx. 9 % of the total annual pumping volume) (Fig. 1).
Groundwater Levels of the Main Aquifer and Panke Valley Aquifer 2019
![Fig. 1: Location of the waterworks which supply Berlin with drinking water, as of May 2019](/imgscaler/hihY8FOlfYMURhqzIpi6cRzUQy0rLlUixQ65O2MnxFY/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxOS9kZS1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi91cGxvYWRfXzc0YjRkZTY3NGNlMTI1NjVlZGQ1YzUyMWE4M2FkYzMxX3UyMTJfMDFfZ3IucG5n.png?ts=1681392079)
Fig. 1: Location of the waterworks which supply Berlin with drinking water, as of May 2019
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 2: Types of appearance of subsurface water](/imgscaler/0ZmRffcE7UCDfRQltd8VsCDNBB4NvRPNKyZab0UizPI/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxOC9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplX2RlMTdkOWE1YzU2ZmI0NjZjNGRhYmJmZDc4MWNhMjgwX2V0MjEyXzAyLmdpZg.jpg?ts=1696257899)
Fig. 2: Types of appearance of subsurface water
Image: modified after Hölting 1996
![Fig. 3: Hydrogeological terms](/imgscaler/Su6iH-dzTcF3Ujm98LDzwv8sEt-SySa8r8DRB9QSDeM/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxOC9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplX2JmNzU3NWJlYWEzNjY1MWE4YTY1NTQzYmRkMjlmNGFlX2V0MjEyXzAzLmpwZw.jpg?ts=1696257933)
Fig. 3: Hydrogeological terms
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 4a: Groundwater infiltrates into the surface waters (effluent conditions)](/imgscaler/hamu_nGZTX7furMnyi6cxsdRT9zu-2jUrQDg9FIMpNA/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxOC9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzcwM2Y3YWVhN2Y4YTNlYTEwZjhhZTc3OWU0MjkzMTU0X2V0MjEyXzA0YS5qcGc.jpg?ts=1681392081)
Fig. 4a: Groundwater infiltrates into the surface waters (effluent conditions)
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 4b: Bank-filtered water caused by flooding: Surface water infiltrates into the groundwater (influent conditions)](/imgscaler/Kkg0555iPMonnLMRBwpz3Xc4zQp6OiaePYoWs4SW85I/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxOC9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzhkMWJlMDUyMTg3ZjI5ZDc1NTAyNWRhNzYyZDlkY2FmX2V0MjEyXzA0Yi5qcGc.jpg?ts=1681392061)
Fig. 4b: Bank-filtered water caused by flooding: Surface water infiltrates into the groundwater (influent conditions)
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 4c: Bank-filtered water caused by discharge of groundwater: due to the drop in the groundwater caused by wells, surface water infiltrates into the groundwater](/imgscaler/j11sUWGb722t2dF--PSp8sLzwqThwdI5tn5QyC3Jr_0/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxOC9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9ldDIxMl8wNGMuanBn.jpg?ts=1696257908)
Fig. 4c: Bank-filtered water caused by discharge of groundwater: due to the drop in the groundwater caused by wells, surface water infiltrates into the groundwater
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 5: Morphological map of Berlin](/imgscaler/Rq0ptlajLVnKu1UuExt3OqdHg2GYwdT3KUlbTEB8ek4/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxOC9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzY2YzhmZDc5OGIxYzlmNDZmMTFlODgxZGU1ZTE2MDkwX2V0MjEyXzA1LmpwZw.jpg?ts=1696257906)
Fig. 5: Morphological map of Berlin
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 6: Geological map of Berlin](/imgscaler/OJUDh6ZYuZr7py9i9hPsINRTJ8Ro-aWxR2Z8Iye5DZE/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxOC9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplX2Y1YzIyMDNiOWJhZjFkZTc0ZWJkOTBhMDM1NDk4ZGZmX2V0MjEyXzA2X2dyLmdpZg.jpg?ts=1696257930)
Fig. 6: Geological map of Berlin
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin
![Fig. 7: Schematic hydrogeological cross-section of Berlin, from south to north](/imgscaler/_MDG0n7ytfzHT2dezeaaW6ZMAGumEM_aqiBeQmAM5YQ/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxOC9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzlhYWFiYWRkMDM3MWQwYjBjM2I1Yjc0YmIzN2Q4YWJhX2V0MjEyXzA3X2dyLmdpZg.jpg?ts=1696257903)
Fig. 7: Schematic hydrogeological cross-section of Berlin, from south to north
Image: from Limberg, 2013
![Fig. 8: The unconfined Panke Valley Aquifer (Aquifer 1) in the north-western area of the Barnim Plateau is situated above the Main Aquifer (Aquifer 2), which is confined in this area](/imgscaler/s7xp6IXFf-yQpFxE6YP-U5ykQ2axaDS8e4DdLHlQq0g/ropen/L3N5czExLXByb2QvdW13ZWx0YXRsYXMvX2Fzc2V0cy93YXNzZXIvZ3J1bmR3YXNzZXJob2VoZW4vMjAxOC9lbi1hYmJpbGR1bmdlbi9tYXhzaXplXzJkOTA0YTRjNTMyZWI3NDRjMDVkZDMxNmY1OGJmNDcxX2V0MjEyXzA4LmpwZw.jpg?ts=1696257937)
Fig. 8: The unconfined Panke Valley Aquifer (Aquifer 1) in the north-western area of the Barnim Plateau is situated above the Main Aquifer (Aquifer 2), which is confined in this area
Image: Umweltatlas Berlin