This case study is about a full-scale residential settlement project in an urban area in Hamburg, Germany. The settlement was built between 1982 and 1994 and consists of 36 single-family houses with approx. 140 inhabitants. 23 years have passed by now since this project was established successfully. Within the case study of SuSanA the experiences gathered in Allermöhe are presented in a compact way. The project aims at having an ecological closed-loop process via on-site wastewater treatment and therefore independence from a sewage system. Rainwater harvesting, composting toilets and constructed wetlands were the technologies applied in the project. Thereby a high resource and energy efficiency can be achieved. This waterless toilet system saves about 40 litres of water per capita per day compared to a conventional flush toilet (10 L per flush) which adds up to 2,044 m³ water savings per year for the whole settlement. Rainwater from the area and especially the roofs is either collected in small basins and ditches to infiltrate into the soil or in cisterns for irrigation of green space. Further project components are photovoltaic systems and thermic solar heaters as well as passive houses with very good insulation and a combined heat recovery. In 2009, the costs for one improved Terra Nova system, delivery and installation were approx. EUR 6,500. The total costs for a constructed wetland mounted up to circa EUR 95.000. All operation and maintenance activities are carried out by the residents themselves (or volunteers amongst the residents), which reduces costs and increases the feeling of ownership. Through practical experience it was possible to adjust the system in case of problems, which keeps the settlement in Allermöhe a reference project with a long history which can inspire many national and international visitors to copy the approach.

Bibliographic information

Rauschning, G., Berger, W., Ebeling, B., Schöpe, A. (2009). Ecological settlement in Allermöhe Hamburg, Germany Case study of sustainable sanitation projects Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA)

Filter / Tags

Constructed wetlandsOtherFaeces or faecal sludgeUrban (entire city)Case studies in SuSanA templateEnglish

Downloads