Monitoring of alkalinity off the Bülk wastewater treatment plant

A GEOMAR measurement campaign in Kiel Bight

In short: Kiel’s groundwater is naturally more alkaline (basic) than Baltic Sea water. This is also reflected in the treated wastewater from the City of Kiel’s wastewater treatment plant in Bülk. From the end of 2026, a pilot plant by the start-up PLANETEERS will further increase the alkalinity of the wastewater. The GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel is studying how the alkaline wastewater is distributed in Kiel Bight and what effects it has on the seawater, the seafloor, and the organisms living there. GEOMAR’s measurements began before the pilot plant is started, in order to establish the baseline state of the site and to be able to detect potential changes. The monitoring is funded by the Ministry for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature (MEKUN) of the state of Schleswig-Holstein and by the non-profit initiative Carbon-to-Sea.