The Lichtenberg drinking water reservoir in the district of Central Saxony was completely drained in autumn 2024 to allow for extensive refurbishment work. Preparatory work began as early as June 2024, and the actual construction work in the reservoir basin has been underway since January 2025. The dam crest will remain completely closed between May 2025 and the end of 2026.
The Lichtenberg Dam is undergoing extensive refurbishment to ensure the long-term security of the drinking water supply and the safe operation of the dam. Key measures include the repair of the dam’s external asphalt lining, the refurbishment of the 52-metre-high intake tower and the renewal of the dam crest. In addition, the measurement and control systems are being modernised. The work requires the reservoir to be completely drained.
The Lichtenberg Dam
The Lichtenberg Dam is located in the Ore Mountains, around 20 kilometres south of Freiberg. It is one of Saxony’s most striking dams: its intake tower stands in the middle of the reservoir and is used not only to draw raw water for drinking water treatment, but also as an overflow during floods.
The water from the reservoir is treated into drinking water at the Lichtenberg and Freiberg waterworks and supplies the town of Freiberg and the surrounding region. The plant was built between 1966 and 1975 and has been in continuous operation for around 50 years. To ensure the water supply and safe operation in the future, a comprehensive refurbishment is now required. The project will take several years to complete and involves an investment of around 30 million euros.
The refurbishment is divided into two sub-projects: the ‘barrier structure’ and the ‘intake tower’. The barrier structure sub-project focuses on the refurbishment of the dam. Among other things, the external asphalt lining will be repaired using a full-surface plastic membrane.
GEDA height access solution on the extraction tower
The intake tower at the Lichtenberg Dam is also showing its age. As part of the refurbishment work, cracks in the spillway crest will be repaired using liquid plastic, and the structural support conditions of the tower head will be rectified. In addition, the waterproofing and the tower’s external steel hydraulic structures will be renewed. This includes the valves and pipework for the two bottom outlets and the water intake.
In addition, an epilimnic water intake will be installed on the outside of the tower. This will enable warm surface water to be discharged into the lower reaches of the river in future, whilst the high-quality deep water will continue to be retained for drinking water treatment. The appearance of this striking structure will also change: the glazing will be replaced and damaged concrete sections will be repaired.
Before the actual construction work could begin, a temporary water supply had to be set up for the Lichtenberg and Freiberg waterworks. As the comprehensive refurbishment requires the reservoir to be completely drained, the water supply will be maintained during the construction period via the Rauschenbach reservoir and the Freiberg Upper District Water Authority. In addition, raw water reserves were built up in advance and further structural measures were implemented.
The specific conditions at the extraction tower present all the companies involved with challenging tasks. To ensure safe and efficient access at height, a tried-and-tested solution from GEDA GmbH in Asbach-Bäumenheim is therefore being used: a GEDA 500 Z/ZP with an SL platform. The aerial work platform is maintained by GEDA’s long-standing partner, BNS Baumaschinen GmbH. The equipment is owned by Krause & Co. Together, these experienced companies are helping to ensure the reliable delivery of a complex infrastructure project of this scale.
A reliable partner for passenger and goods transport
The GEDA 500 Z/ZP SL is a powerful workhorse for heavy loads and efficient operation. It transports people and materials quickly and safely to heights of up to 100 metres. When used solely as a construction hoist, the unit has a payload capacity of up to 850 kilograms. When used as a work platform, it carries up to five people as well as materials with a payload of up to 500 kilograms. The GEDA 500 Z/ZP SL thus combines two applications in a single unit.
A particular advantage is the covered platform. With a generous platform size of 3.2 x 1.0 metres, it is ideal for transporting bulky goods whilst also offering protection from changing weather conditions. The lifting speed is 12 metres per minute in passenger mode and 24 metres per minute in goods mode.
Even under the challenging conditions at the intake tower of the Lichtenberg Dam, the GEDA transport platform ensures safe, efficient and reliable access to the work areas. In this way, GEDA is making a significant contribution to the successful completion of the refurbishment work – and thus to the long-term security of the region’s drinking water supply.
The Lichtenberg Dam is undergoing extensive refurbishment to ensure the long-term security of the drinking water supply and the safe operation of the dam. Key measures include the repair of the dam’s external asphalt lining, the refurbishment of the 52-metre-high intake tower and the renewal of the dam crest. In addition, the measurement and control systems are being modernised. The work requires the reservoir to be completely drained.
The Lichtenberg Dam
The Lichtenberg Dam is located in the Ore Mountains, around 20 kilometres south of Freiberg. It is one of Saxony’s most striking dams: its intake tower stands in the middle of the reservoir and is used not only to draw raw water for drinking water treatment, but also as an overflow during floods.
The water from the reservoir is treated into drinking water at the Lichtenberg and Freiberg waterworks and supplies the town of Freiberg and the surrounding region. The plant was built between 1966 and 1975 and has been in continuous operation for around 50 years. To ensure the water supply and safe operation in the future, a comprehensive refurbishment is now required. The project will take several years to complete and involves an investment of around 30 million euros.
The refurbishment is divided into two sub-projects: the ‘barrier structure’ and the ‘intake tower’. The barrier structure sub-project focuses on the refurbishment of the dam. Among other things, the external asphalt lining will be repaired using a full-surface plastic membrane.
GEDA height access solution on the extraction tower
The intake tower at the Lichtenberg Dam is also showing its age. As part of the refurbishment work, cracks in the spillway crest will be repaired using liquid plastic, and the structural support conditions of the tower head will be rectified. In addition, the waterproofing and the tower’s external steel hydraulic structures will be renewed. This includes the valves and pipework for the two bottom outlets and the water intake.
In addition, an epilimnic water intake will be installed on the outside of the tower. This will enable warm surface water to be discharged into the lower reaches of the river in future, whilst the high-quality deep water will continue to be retained for drinking water treatment. The appearance of this striking structure will also change: the glazing will be replaced and damaged concrete sections will be repaired.
Before the actual construction work could begin, a temporary water supply had to be set up for the Lichtenberg and Freiberg waterworks. As the comprehensive refurbishment requires the reservoir to be completely drained, the water supply will be maintained during the construction period via the Rauschenbach reservoir and the Freiberg Upper District Water Authority. In addition, raw water reserves were built up in advance and further structural measures were implemented.
The specific conditions at the extraction tower present all the companies involved with challenging tasks. To ensure safe and efficient access at height, a tried-and-tested solution from GEDA GmbH in Asbach-Bäumenheim is therefore being used: a GEDA 500 Z/ZP with an SL platform. The aerial work platform is maintained by GEDA’s long-standing partner, BNS Baumaschinen GmbH. The equipment is owned by Krause & Co. Together, these experienced companies are helping to ensure the reliable delivery of a complex infrastructure project of this scale.
A reliable partner for passenger and goods transport
The GEDA 500 Z/ZP SL is a powerful workhorse for heavy loads and efficient operation. It transports people and materials quickly and safely to heights of up to 100 metres. When used solely as a construction hoist, the unit has a payload capacity of up to 850 kilograms. When used as a work platform, it carries up to five people as well as materials with a payload of up to 500 kilograms. The GEDA 500 Z/ZP SL thus combines two applications in a single unit.
A particular advantage is the covered platform. With a generous platform size of 3.2 x 1.0 metres, it is ideal for transporting bulky goods whilst also offering protection from changing weather conditions. The lifting speed is 12 metres per minute in passenger mode and 24 metres per minute in goods mode.
Even under the challenging conditions at the intake tower of the Lichtenberg Dam, the GEDA transport platform ensures safe, efficient and reliable access to the work areas. In this way, GEDA is making a significant contribution to the successful completion of the refurbishment work – and thus to the long-term security of the region’s drinking water supply.
