We now know fairly well where the electricity is generated that comes out of our wall sockets. But we know very little about where the water is sourced that comes out of our taps. And where it ends up after we use it is usually even less known. Yet we need water not only to live, but even to survive: after three days without water, a person dies.

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My project 'Brauch-Wasser' aims to draw attention to the effort involved in obtaining this life-giving elixir, and the effort required to remove the impurities we have introduced into the used water so that it can be returned to the natural water cycle without endangering nature or humans.

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The image 'Gewinnung / Production' illustrates the massive intervention in the natural landscape caused by the Eckertal reservoir dam, which collects rainwater from the Harz Mountains to provide drinking water to the region. The image 'Gebraucht / Used' shows how the wastewater, treated at the Steinhof sewage treatment plant, undergoes further biological purification by plants and bacteria in the 275-hectare irrigation fields.

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This series was taken in 2025.