It has room for the contents of around 80,000 bathtubs. If the worst comes to the worst, the new rainwater retention basin, which was inaugurated today at Memmingen Airport, must be able to hold around 12,000 cubic metres of water to prevent flooding of the nearby Schmittenbach stream in the event of heavy rainfall.Around EUR 900,000 were invested in the construction of the facility, which took around six months to complete. “We are delighted that we are able to put another important building block for the expansion of the airport into operation,” explained Gerhard Pfeifer, Chairman of the Airport Supervisory Board on site. “The basin, complete with the necessary technical installations, represents real and applied environmental protection.” Only uncontaminated rainwater is collected. He emphasised that the basin serves to regulate the Schmittenbach stream, and also helps the rainwater cycle through its infiltration function and by enriching the groundwater. The new system also prevents the stream from bursting its banks in the event of sudden heavy rainfall. This is ensured bytwo channels that lead from the airport grounds to an inlet basin. A so-called “outlet structure”, equipped with two large flaps, can later regulate the transport of water into the Schmittenbach.Alexander Eder, District Administrator of Unterallgäu, praised the airport operator’s commitment and emphasised that the project was an important piece of sustainability. In doing so, the airport is ensuring that flight operations are compatible with the region and that concerns are also taken into account alongside the primary business activity. The basin acts as a buffer that improves both the quality and quantity of the water.Factsheet on the new rainwater retention basinCharacteristics
