Fountain of Youth

The long-awaited rain arrived today along with cooler climes. Musn't complain especially as it's due to get back up to the 30°C mark within a few days.

For the dog walk took shelter in the Bannwald above Ottobeuren. In the Blip, the towns water pumping station in the forest, built in 1953 and renovated in 2014/5.

It is quite usual for people to know where their tap water comes from. This is due to each parish being responsible for sourcing and delivering water (and wastewater) to/from its inhabitants. Our parish has two water sources, one a 200m deep well in a forest which supplied one village and a 14m deep well below agriculturally used land supplying the other. This year they have been combined to provide water to both villages from a central tank. Naturally, there are all sorts of regulations as to what farmers can do or rather can't do in the capture area. There are ups and downs to this very localised system - this year we are having to pay a large four-figure sum for the complete renewal of the water pipes in the village and the boring of a new well.

Water usage is metered to all properties, this includes all water use including garden taps and animal stables. This usage is then charged each year, I think around 0.70 Euro cents for 1,000 litres. However, the wastewater is taken to be the same as the water consumed and this costs I think about 7.00 Euros for 1,000 litres (Farmers get an allowance taking into account cows don't use the Villeroy & Boch porcelain.

Tap water is one of the most strictly controlled foodstuffs in Germany and test after test confirms it is in most cases as good or even better than many bottled mineral waters of which there are over 800 officially approved sources in Germany. And yet the per head consumption of bottled water is the 6th highest in the world  (UAE not surprisingly has double the consumption). The drink supermarkets have a massive choice of brands and types although it has to be said not as much choice as beer! Interesting trivia: In 1970, the USA had 16 brands of bottled water, today around 200.

Below the Ottobeuren Pump House, there is a waterspout fountain coming out of a tree trunk and falling into a hollowed out tree log. It then joins a stream to form a waterfall that goes down the hill to join a further stream and run into a "Kneipp Water Treading" pool based on the teachings of the renowned Ottobeuren priest Sebastian Kneipp. This is shown in the extra photo and involves taking off shoes and socks, rolling up the trousers and walking around the oval handrail. Same water therapy principal is used for forearms and elbows in the sink at the foot of the waterfall on the right of the photo.