New irrigation system in Bibertal
In the municipalities of Buch SH, Hemishofen and Ramsen, agricultural land has been irrigated from the Biber for over 50 years. An irrigation project was launched in order to relieve the Beaver, a fish watercourse, of water abstraction in the medium to long term. The Rhine is much better suited to water abstraction, as it provides significantly more water during the peak demand period from April to August.
The existing infrastructure will be modified as part of the project: The 19 current extraction points (15 on the Biber and 4 on the Rhine) will be replaced by a central extraction point on the Rhine. A new pumping station on the banks of the Rhine, also planned by HOLINGER AG, will pump the water and transport it to the agricultural areas in the three municipalities via a transport pipeline.
The transport and distribution pipes extend over a total length of approx. 18 km up the Biber valley to Buch. The pipes are located at a depth of around 1.5 m and have a diameter of up to 560 mm. The pipeline construction started in spring 2024. The Biber and its tributaries as well as the main road with an adjacent railway line will be undercrossed by means of flush drilling. Existing distribution networks will be used and connected to the new transport pipeline
Our tasks
HOLINGER was responsible for the planning and hydraulic dimensioning of the new irrigation infrastructure. This included the optimization of the pipeline system from the Rhine to the Biber Valley, the integration of existing distribution networks and the planning of flushing boreholes to cross under waterways and traffic routes.
