Imagine a time when water wasn’t as readily available as it is today. That’s where the Wasserturm Sandhofer Straße Essity Mannheim comes into our story. It is more than just a tower. It is a symbol of innovation and industry.
The Wasserturm Sandhofer Straße Essity Mannheim provided water to the Zellstofffabrik. The Zellstofffabrik was founded in 1884 by Rudolf and Karl Haas and Dr. Carl Clemm. The factory needed a reliable water source for its paper production. Thus, the Wasserturm Sandhofer Straße Essity Mannheim was built.
The Wasserturm Sandhofer Straße Essity Mannheim is connected to a waterworks. The waterworks is located in the Käfertaler Wald. A six-kilometer-long pipeline connects the waterworks to the Wasserturm Sandhofer Straße Essity Mannheim.
Initially, the waterworks used steam engines to pump water. Later, the system was converted to electric pumps. This transition occurred gradually before and during World War II. The old steam engines and boilers were removed.
The waterworks had 18 deep wells. These wells stretched towards Lampertheim and Käfertal. Electric pumps pushed water into an underground collecting well. From there, three centrifugal pumps sent water to the main pipeline. Each pump had a power of 90 kW. They provided a constant flow of 12 cubic meters per minute. That is about 5 million cubic meters per year.
The waterworks also had a backup system. If the pumps failed, water could be supplied directly from the wells. The system was fully automated. An alarm would trigger at the main factory if the waterworks failed. A repair crew would then be dispatched.
Interestingly, the water from the waterworks was of drinking quality. During World War II, a connection was made to the Käfertal waterworks. This allowed for water exchange in case of need. However, the forest water contained more iron and manganese than allowed by newer regulations. So, the connection was abandoned. The residential building at the waterworks is now connected to the MVV water supply.
The Zellstofffabrik grew rapidly. It became a leading company in Germany. By 1960, the factory’s land covered 180 hectares. This was larger than Mannheim’s 150-hectare old town. The factory used nearly 70 million cubic meters of water per year.
In 1970, the Zellstofffabrik merged with Papierwerke Aschaffenburg. The company became PWA. In 1995, SCA acquired the majority of PWA shares. Since 2017, the company has been known as Essity Operations Mannheim GmbH. Essity also owns well-known brands like Zewa and Tempo.
The Wasserturm Sandhofer Straße Essity Mannheim stands as a testament to Mannheim’s industrial history. It provided essential resources. It supported a major manufacturing operation. It reminds us of the ingenuity required to meet the needs of a growing industry and community.