Wasserwerke Westfalen

Wasserwerke Westfalen GmbH (WWW) is a German water utility and drinking water producer based in the eastern Ruhr area. It was founded on 1 January 2001 as a joint venture, with Gelsenwasser AG and Dortmunder Energie- und Wasserversorgung GmbH (DEW21) each holding a 50% stake. The company's registered seat is in Dortmund at Günter-Samtlebe-Platz 1, while its administration is located in Schwerte at Zum Kellerbach 52. It began operating on 1 April 2001, initially with eight waterworks, and has since become a reliable supplier of drinking water for approximately 1.5 million people. WWW treats water from the Ruhr river into high-quality drinking water at its waterworks. According to the company, in 2025 it produced over 103 million m³ of drinking water. Its supply area covers parts of the southern Münsterland, the central and eastern Ruhr area, and the northern Sauerland. The company operates five waterworks — Echthausen, Halingen, Hengsen, Westhofen and Witten — as well as five hydroelectric power plants (Echthausen, Fröndenberg, Hengsen, Villigst, Westhofen) and photovoltaic installations at all sites. It also holds a 40% stake in Westfälische Wasser- und Umweltanalytik GmbH, an accredited drinking water testing laboratory for North Rhine-Westphalia. As a wholesale supplier, WWW provides water to its two parent companies, which in turn supply end customers directly or indirectly through other municipal utilities. The company is also active in energy generation, producing electricity from its hydroelectric plants and solar panels. In 2016, it had 135 employees and delivered 101 million m³ of drinking water, while its five run-of-river power plants generated about 22.5 million kWh of electricity. WWW is a private limited company (GmbH) and is not listed on any stock exchange.

Wasserwerke Westfalen GmbH was founded on 1 January 2001 by Gelsenwasser AG and Dortmunder Energie- und Wasserversorgung GmbH (DEW21), each holding a 50% share. The company's registered office is in Dortmund, while its operational headquarters are in Schwerte. On 1 April 2001, it commenced operations as a joint venture of DEW21 and Gelsenwasser, initially with eight waterworks, and has since been responsible for the secure supply of drinking water to people and businesses in the region. Since its founding, WWW has acted as a wholesale supplier to its two parent companies, which together supply approximately 1.5 million people in the southern Münsterland, the central and eastern Ruhr area, and the northern Sauerland, either directly or indirectly through other municipal utilities. Over the years, the number of waterworks has been reduced to five: Echthausen, Halingen, Hengsen, Westhofen and Witten. The company also operates five hydroelectric power plants (Echthausen, Fröndenberg, Hengsen, Villigst, Westhofen) and photovoltaic systems at all its sites. It holds a 40% stake in Westfälische Wasser- und Umweltanalytik GmbH, an accredited laboratory for drinking water analysis in North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2016, the company had 135 employees and delivered 101 million m³ of drinking water, while its five run-of-river power plants generated about 22.5 million kWh of electricity. By 2025, drinking water production had increased to over 103 million m³. The company continues to invest in renewable energy and infrastructure resilience, as highlighted by its response to the 2021 flood and ongoing efforts to protect critical infrastructure.

• Wasserwerke Westfalen GmbH founded as a 50/50 joint venture of Gelsenwasser AG and DEW21.

• Company commenced operations with eight waterworks.

• Company had 135 employees and delivered 101 million m³ of drinking water; hydro plants generated about 22.5 million kWh.

• Drinking water production exceeded 103 million m³.

Regional wholesale drinking water supplier and renewable energy producer, jointly owned by two major municipal utilities.

• Drinking water

  Produced from Ruhr river water at five waterworks.

• Hydroelectric power

  Generated at five run-of-river power plants.

• Photovoltaic power

  Generated at photovoltaic installations at all waterworks sites.

1. 1Startseitewasserwerke-westfalen.de
2. 2Über unswasserwerke-westfalen.de
3. 3Wasserwerke Westfalenwikidata.org
4. 4Wasserwerke Westfalende.wikipedia.org