Drinking water treatment is one of the most important skills of the emergency services in military operations and disaster control. Mobile drinking water supply is just as important for this group in the military as it is for the civilian population in the event of a disaster, for example if drinking water sources are contaminated or unavailable.
Nowadays, modern drinking water treatment systems for small, mobile units can be carried in a suitcase. Larger drinking water treatment plants for field camps take up considerably more space and have technology for filtering, sterilizing and remineralizing. For example, the Bundeswehr uses large basins and 18,000-liter tanks to treat drinking water during the training mission in Mali. Of course, the drinking water is also tested several times a day, which requires additional resources. In the field, special water treatment tablets can also be used to turn dirty water into sterile drinking water.
The THW uses mobile systems for drinking water treatment. These are used when clean drinking water is not available. Such an emergency situation can be caused by natural disasters or impurities in the drinking water, the failure of water pumps or problems at waterworks, for example. Efficient drinking water treatment plants can supply around 20,000 people per day. The specialist groups for drinking water supply (FGr TW) of the individual regional associations are responsible for this. When the THW is deployed abroad, somewhat less powerful but very lightweight and modular systems are used, which can be transported to the deployment site by vehicle or airplane.
