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Simulación · Minimal Water · By the river

Düsseldorf · Rhine – drinking water filtered through the riverbank

A river that is never drunk directly: wells at Flehe draw bank filtrate from gravel and sand, and a water tower holds the pressure in the flat town.

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Real are location, terrain and buildings (OpenStreetMap, heights from SRTM and EU-DEM). The position of the facilities is based on OpenStreetMap and public information; the pipe network, sizes, demand and operation are invented and simplified. It is not an operations control and not a planning tool. With your data, the model shows your site and your processes.

Düsseldorf drinks the Rhine, but never directly: since 1870 wells at Flehe have drawn water that has been filtered through gravel and sand on the bank; even when the Rhine fell to a record low in 2018, the bank wells delivered, because the gravel is a store under the ground. In the model the works at Flehe treats the bank filtrate into drinking water, pumps fill the water tower, and from there it flows to Bilk, Flehe, Hamm, Volmerswerth and the commercial area.

The town is flat, and pressure comes only from pumps and a high tank. The tower evens out peaks, and Bilk is densely built, where most water is needed. Three controls move the whole landscape: rain, heat and consumption. In heavy rain the broad river rises in its bend, and the village of Volmerswerth in the Rhine bend lies almost at the water; in a drought the river narrows, and the fields all around wither.

Real are location, terrain and buildings. The pipe network, sizes, demand and operation are invented and simplified; quantities and processes are model assumptions. The page is for schools and universities, exhibitions, municipalities and water supply.

The path of water

  1. 01

    the Rhine seeps through gravel and sand on the bank

  2. 02

    wells at Flehe raise the bank filtrate

  3. 03

    the works turn it into drinking water

  4. 04

    pumps fill the water tower

  5. 05

    into Bilk, Flehe, Hamm, Volmerswerth and the industry

  6. 06

    the sewer leads out of the area to the treatment plant

Water shapes the land

01

Water shapes the land

Düsseldorf · Rhine: Düsseldorf drinks the Rhine, but never straight from the river: since 1870 wells at Flehe have drawn water filtered through the gravel and sand of the bank.

The path of water

02

The path of water

Glowing pipes – the path of the water as one continuous line, the waves run with the speed and direction of the flow.

What is shown – why – for whom

Qué se muestra Por qué Para quién
Flehe waterworks with wells on the Rhine bank Por quéShows how water is filtered through gravel and sand before it is treated. Para quiénteaching, water supply
Water tower Por quéShows how a high tank evens out peaks in a flat town. Para quiénteaching, municipalities
Bilk, densely built Por quéShows the district where most water is needed. Para quiénmunicipalities, teaching
Flehe and Hamm in the Rhine bend Por quéShows a residential district above the waterworks and an old village with vegetable fields. Para quiénexhibition, local history
Volmerswerth in the Rhine bend Por quéShows a village that lies almost at the water in a flood. Para quiéncivil protection, schools
Bilk commercial area with shift operation Por quéShows a large consumer with its own daily profile. Para quiénteaching, water supply
Three controls and four weather situations Por quéShows connections in the model, not a statement about reality. Para quiénteaching, education
The city from within

03

The city from within

Wastewater – From the house through the sewer to the plant.

When things get tight

04

When things get tight

Forest fire – in drought and great heat a glowing front eats through the forest, rain puts it out.

Films from the model

  • Above Düsseldorf · Rhine

    A flight across the area: low angles with sky, the wide river in its bend, with the wells on the bank, then over the town to the long shot – with the sound of the landscape.

  • The path of water

    From the source via the works and the storage into the town, through the sewer and back into the river: station by station, the pipes glowing.

  • The city opens up

    Beneath the streets: first the pipes, then the open cross-section, wastewater, rainwater in heavy rain, greywater – and everything together.

  • A water year

    A normal year, then heat and drought: fields wither, the river narrows, the forest burns – then heavy rain, thunderstorm and flood. The landscape answers in real time.

  • Pipe burst and flood

    First a main bursts: the spot pulses red, a crew drives out, the storage carries the town. Then heavy rain: the water rises by elevation into floodplain and districts.

  • Using the software

    With the full interface: tap weather situations, pull levers, look at stations on the wheel and consequences – every effect shows at once on the map.

Facilities and landscape in the model

  • Flehe waterworks

    Since 1870 wells on the Rhine bank have pumped water that seeped through gravel and sand (riverbank filtration). The works turn it into drinking water.

  • water tower

    The city is flat – pressure comes only from pumps and a high tank. The tower evens out the peaks.

  • Bilk

    Densely built, many people in little space – the largest demand.

  • Flehe

    Residential area at the Rhine bend, right above the waterworks.

  • Bilk industry

    Businesses and workshops working in shifts.

  • Hamm

    Old village on the Rhine surrounded by vegetable fields.

  • Volmerswerth

    Small village in the Rhine bend – in a flood it is almost at the water.

Thunderstorm

05

Thunderstorm

Thunderstorm – lightning in view, the cloud lights up from within around the strike, the cover tears open along the line of sight.

Flood by contour lines

06

Flood by contour lines

Flood by contour lines – the floodplain and low-lying districts fill up bit by bit, with a dirty rim of foam.

Processes in the model

The path of water

  1. 01the Rhine seeps through gravel and sand on the bank
  2. 02wells at Flehe raise the bank filtrate
  3. 03the works turn it into drinking water
  4. 04pumps fill the water tower
  5. 05into Bilk, Flehe, Hamm, Volmerswerth and the industry
  6. 06the sewer leads out of the area to the treatment plant

Heat and drought

  1. 01no rain and great heat
  2. 02the soil dries out, the river narrows
  3. 03the fields wither first
  4. 04the forest dies and burns, rain puts it out
  5. 05water runs short in the town, the storage empties
  6. 06rain brings soil, river and harvest back quickly; dead forest takes far longer

Heavy rain and flood

  1. 01the soil soaks up all it can
  2. 02what it cannot hold rushes into streams and the river
  3. 03the floodplain and low-lying districts fill by contour line
  4. 04sewers and treatment plant reach their limit
  5. 05after the rain the water falls again

Pipe burst

  1. 01a pipe bursts, water escapes
  2. 02a crew drives out from the depot
  3. 03the section is shut off
  4. 04the storage carries the town
  5. 05after the repair the pipe goes back into service

What the model can be used for

  • What bank filtrate is

    The Rhine seeps through gravel and sand on the bank, and wells draw the filtered water. You see why bank wells deliver even at low water: the gravel is a store under the ground.

    Para quiénschools, universities, exhibitions

  • Water supply in a flat town

    Without a slope, pressure comes only from pumps and a high tank. The model shows how the water tower evens out peaks and where the water flows.

    Para quiénwater supply, universities, training

  • Playing through flood and drought

    In heavy rain the Rhine rises in its bend and the village of Volmerswerth lies almost at the water, in a drought it narrows. You see what gets tight first.

    Para quiéncivil protection, municipalities, education

  • Museum and exhibition

    Since 1870 wells at Flehe have drawn water from the bank gravel: the model shows river, wells, works and town in one picture.

    Para quiénmuseums, exhibitions, local history

The course

07

The course

The course – the wide river in its bend, with the wells on the bank; waves and foam move with the current in real time.

The whole software

08

The whole software

Hot summer with one tap – the levers visibly move there, the camera follows the effect, below a sentence explains what is happening.

What you can change

Controls

  • Rain: From drought to storm: rain fills soil, groundwater and river; little rain lets everything dry out, a lot of it lets it overflow.
  • Heat: Up to four degrees more: more evaporates from lakes, fields and trees, and everyone needs more water.
  • Consumption: From frugal to wasteful: wasteful speeds up the shortage, frugal delays it.
  • Weather situations: Normal year, Hot summer, Drought, Heavy rain: One tap sets all three levers, they visibly move there, and the view goes to where the effect shows.

Disruptions

  • Water shortage: Water is running short in town: the first homes are without water – people are moving away.
  • Failed harvest: The fields are withering – the harvest fails, food becomes scarce and expensive.
  • Fish die-off: The river is shallow and warm, oxygen is running out – the fish are dying.
  • Flood: Flood! The river bursts its banks, the sewers overflow – untreated water flows into the river.
  • Health: Without enough clean water, health suffers: heat, poor hygiene, disease. Ambulances are on their way.
  • Forest fire: The dry forest is burning. Fire crews are on their way – but without water there is nothing to fight it with.
  • Tree dieback: The trees are dying. It takes decades for a forest to grow back.
  • Pipe burst: Pipe bursts hit lines, never a single building; the storage carries the town until the crew has repaired the section.
  • The extreme: Everything is parched: no water, no harvest, no trees, no animals. Life is no longer possible here.

What the model brings

  • 01

    The real river as a stage

    Rhine bend, villages and town stand on terrain from OpenStreetMap and elevation data. You show the place as it lies, not as a diagram.

  • 02

    From the bank to the tower

    Seepage, wells, works, pumps, water tower and districts can be shown one by one. You understand the path before you change anything.

  • 03

    Situations without damage

    Flood, drought, pipe burst: you see where it gets tight first, and set it back. A pipe burst hits a pipe, never a single building.

  • 04

    In the browser, with one tap

    The model runs in the browser. One tap sets rain, heat and consumption together to a weather situation.

  • Düsseldorf · Rhein: Düsseldorf trinkt den Rhein, aber nie direkt: Seit 1870 holen Brunnen in Flehe Wasser, das sich durch Kies und Sand am Ufer gefiltert hat.
    Düsseldorf · Rhine: Düsseldorf drinks the Rhine, but never straight from the river: since 1870 wells at Flehe have drawn water filtered through the gravel and sand of the bank.
  • Düsseldorf · Rhein am Abend – tiefe Sonne, lange Schatten, das Wasser spiegelt den Himmel.
    Düsseldorf · Rhine in the evening – low sun, long shadows, the water mirrors the sky.
  • Morgens am Rheinbogen in Düsseldorf – Dunst liegt über dem Land, Gelände und Bebauung stammen aus Höhendaten und OpenStreetMap.
    Morning on the Rhine bend in Düsseldorf – haze over the land, terrain and buildings come from elevation data and OpenStreetMap.
  • Der Lauf – der breite Strom im Bogen, am Ufer die Brunnen; Wellen und Schaum ziehen in echter Zeit mit der Strömung.
    The course – the wide river in its bend, with the wells on the bank; waves and foam move with the current in real time.
  • Weit über das Land – Wald, Felder und Siedlungen hängen an demselben Wasser.
    Far across the land – forest, fields and settlements hang on the same water.
  • Bilk von außen – jedes Haus ein Quader, am Abend warm im Licht.
    Bilk from outside – every house a block, warm in the evening light.
  • Dämmerung am Rheinbogen in Düsseldorf – die Häuser werden dunkler, über dem Land liegt der letzte Schein.
    Dusk on the Rhine bend in Düsseldorf – the houses grow darker, the last glow lies over the land.
  • Wald – Laubbäume mit Stamm und Krone, Nadelholz in Beständen; hier beginnt der Kreislauf mit dem Regen, der im Boden bleibt.
    Forest – deciduous trees with trunk and crown, conifers in stands; here the cycle begins with the rain that stays in the soil.
  • Felder und Wiesen – die Reihen wachsen mit der Ernte und welken in der Dürre; der Boden ist ein Schwamm.
    Fields and meadows – the rows grow with the harvest and wither in the drought; the soil is a sponge.
  • Düsseldorf · Rhein schräg von oben – der ganze Ausschnitt als Modell aus Quadern, das Netz spielt in seiner Mitte.
    Düsseldorf · Rhine from above at an angle – the whole area as a model of blocks, with the network at its centre.
  • Die Quelle – das Wasserwerk am Rhein: Es hängt am Fluss und an dem Grundwasser, das der Fluss nachfüllt.
    The source – the waterworks by the Rhine: it depends on the river and on the groundwater the river refills.
  • Wasserwerk Flehe – Seit 1870 fördern Brunnen am Rheinufer Wasser, das durch Kies und Sand gesickert ist (Uferfiltrat). Das Werk bereitet es zu Trinkwasser auf.
    Flehe waterworks – Since 1870 wells on the Rhine bank have pumped water that seeped through gravel and sand (riverbank filtration). The works turn it into drinking water.
  • Wasserturm – Die Stadt ist flach – Druck kommt nur aus Pumpen und einem hohen Speicher. Der Turm gleicht Spitzen aus.
    water tower – The city is flat – pressure comes only from pumps and a high tank. The tower evens out the peaks.
  • Leuchtende Rohre – der Weg des Wassers als durchgehende Leitung, die Wellen laufen mit Tempo und Richtung des Durchflusses.
    Glowing pipes – the path of the water as one continuous line, the waves run with the speed and direction of the flow.
  • Bilk – Dicht bebaut, viele Menschen auf wenig Raum – hier wird am meisten Wasser gebraucht.
    Bilk – Densely built, many people in little space – the largest demand.
  • Flehe – Wohnviertel am Rheinbogen, gleich über dem Wasserwerk.
    Flehe – Residential area at the Rhine bend, right above the waterworks.
  • Zurück im Fluss – was gereinigt ist, läuft wieder ein; flussab beginnt der Kreislauf von vorn.
    Back in the river – what has been cleaned flows back in; downstream the cycle starts again.
  • Die Stadt von innen – Rohre und Anschlüsse: Breite nach dem Durchfluss, Licht läuft vom Hochbehälter zu den Häusern.
    The city from within – pipes and connections: width by flow, light runs from the reservoir to the houses.
  • Querschnitt – der Boden öffnet sich, Leitungen liegen frei unter den Straßen.
    Cross-section – the ground opens up, pipes lie exposed beneath the streets.
  • Abwasser – Vom Haus durch den Kanal zur Kläranlage.
    Wastewater – From the house through the sewer to the plant.
  • Regenwasser – versiegelte Flächen führen ab: was nicht versickert, läuft über Straßen und Kanäle.
    Rainwater – sealed surfaces drain off: what does not soak away runs over streets and through sewers.
  • Alles auf einen Blick – Trinkwasser und Kanal zusammen: was in die Häuser hineinfließt, läuft unten wieder heraus.
    All at a glance – drinking water and sewer together: what flows into the houses runs out again below.
  • Hitzesommer – wenig Regen, mehr Verdunstung: Der Boden trocknet, die Menschen brauchen mehr, der Speicher der Stadt sinkt.
    Hot summer – little rain, more evaporation: the soil dries out, people need more, the town’s storage sinks.
  • Dürre – die Felder verdorren zuerst: Grün wird zu Stroh, die Reihen welken, die Ernte fällt aus.
    Drought – the fields wither first: green turns to straw, the rows wilt, the harvest fails.
  • Niedrigwasser – der Fluss führt nur noch wenig Wasser, wird schmal und warm; es fehlt Sauerstoff, die Fische sterben.
    Low water – the river carries very little, grows narrow and warm; oxygen runs short and the fish die.
  • Waldbrand – in Dürre und großer Hitze frisst sich eine glühende Front durch den Wald, Regen löscht.
    Forest fire – in drought and great heat a glowing front eats through the forest, rain puts it out.
  • Rauch über dem Land – die Herde tragen dunkle Säulen, vom Feuer durchleuchtet, weit sichtbar.
    Smoke over the land – the fires carry dark columns, lit from within, visible from afar.
  • Was bleibt – Felder und Stadt erholen sich schnell, abgestorbener und verbrannter Wald bleibt lange sichtbar.
    What remains – fields and town recover quickly, dead and burnt forest stays visible for a long time.
  • Starkregen – es wird dunkel, dichter Regen zieht über das Land, die Böden saugen sich voll.
    Heavy rain – it grows dark, dense rain sweeps over the land, the soils soak up all they can.
  • Gewitter – Blitze im Blickfeld, die Wolke leuchtet um den Einschlag von innen, die Decke reißt entlang der Sichtachse auf.
    Thunderstorm – lightning in view, the cloud lights up from within around the strike, the cover tears open along the line of sight.
  • Hochwasser nach Höhenlinien – die Aue und tief liegende Viertel laufen nach und nach voll, mit schmutzigem Schaumrand.
    Flood by contour lines – the floodplain and low-lying districts fill up bit by bit, with a dirty rim of foam.
  • Rohrbruch – die Leitung pulsiert rot, Wasser tritt aus; ein Trupp wird gerufen.
    Pipe burst – the line pulses red, water escapes; a crew is called out.
  • Abgesperrt – ein Trupp fährt hin, das Stück steht still, der Speicher trägt die Stadt, bis repariert ist.
    Shut off – a crew drives out, the section stands still, the storage carries the town until the repair is done.
  • Die Viertel beim Namen – über der Karte stehen die Stadtteile, oben Wasser in der Stadt, Speicher und die fünf Folgen.
    The districts by name – above the map stand the quarters, at the top water in the city, storage and the five consequences.
  • Bilk und die Nachbarviertel – jeder Name zeigt mit einem Balken, wie gut das Viertel versorgt ist.
    Bilk and the neighbouring districts – each name shows with a bar how well the district is supplied.
  • Zeichen in der Karte – wird eine Folge kritisch, steht ihr Zeichen dort, wo es geschieht: Felder verdorren, Wald stirbt, kein Wasser.
    Signs on the map – when a consequence turns critical, its sign stands where it happens: fields wither, forest dies, no water.
  • Die ganze Software – oben Wasser in der Stadt und fünf Folgen, rechts das Rad des Kreislaufs, unten vier Wetterlagen und drei Hebel.
    The whole software – at the top water in the city and five consequences, on the right the wheel of the cycle, below four weather situations and three levers.
  • Hitzesommer mit einem Tipp – die Hebel fahren sichtbar dorthin, die Kamera folgt der Wirkung, unten erklärt ein Satz, was geschieht.
    Hot summer with one tap – the levers visibly move there, the camera follows the effect, below a sentence explains what is happening.
  • Ein Hebel, sofort sichtbar – Verbrauch auf Verschwendung: Die Stadt braucht mehr, der Speicher sinkt, oben zeigt ein Pfeil die Richtung.
    One lever, visible at once – consumption set to wasteful: the town needs more, the storage sinks, an arrow at the top shows the direction.
  • Das Rad erklärt – Station Fluss angetippt: Der Fluss lebt vom Grundwasser und vom Regen. In der Dürre wird er schmal und warm.
    The wheel explains – station River tapped: The river lives on groundwater and rain. In a drought it becomes narrow and warm.
  • Folgen antippen – Natur: Die Leiste oben erklärt, was das Wasser für Menschen und Natur bedeutet.
    Tap a consequence – Nature: the bar at the top explains what water means for people and nature.
  • Dürre in der Oberfläche – die Folgen färben sich rot, Zeichen stehen in der Karte, der Untertitel sagt, was als Nächstes kommt.
    Drought in the interface – the consequences turn red, signs stand on the map, the subtitle says what comes next.
  • Zwölf Wasserlandschaften – Zusammenflüsse, Talsperren und große Seen quer durch Deutschland, jede an ihrem echten Ort.
    Twelve water landscapes – confluences, dams and large lakes across Germany, each in its real place.
  • Die Einführung – vier Karten sagen, worum es geht und wie man bedient.
    The introduction – four cards say what it is about and how to use it.

Your area as a model

Would you like to show your area, your museum or your school like this? Write to us or call. We will send you the password for starting it on request.

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Minimal Water: Düsseldorf · Rhein – Trinkwasser durch das Ufer gefiltert

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Basis and limits

Terrain and buildings: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), elevation: Mapzen/Tilezen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, EU-DEM). Facility locations follow OpenStreetMap and public utility information; pipe network, sizes, demand and operation are invented and simplified. Simplified educational model – not a real control system and not a planning tool.

Public sources the model is based on:

  • Terrain and buildings: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
  • Elevation: Mapzen/Tilezen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, EU-DEM)

More areas in the model

← Minimal Water

Real are location, terrain and buildings (OpenStreetMap, heights from SRTM and EU-DEM). The position of the facilities is based on OpenStreetMap and public information; the pipe network, sizes, demand and operation are invented and simplified. It is not an operations control and not a planning tool…