World premiere for sustainable track watering at Bergisel!

Bergisel sets new standards in sustainability! This week at the Bergiselschanz in Innsbruck a new resource-saving system for track watering was installed, which, once in operation, requires no additional water.

On a normal day with jump operations at Bergisel, about 25 cubic meters of water are currently needed just for irrigating the approach track to maintain glide on ceramic knobs. Previously, the water sprayed onto the track via fine nozzles was diverted and then infiltrated into the ground. With the new system, the water is collected and returned to the irrigation cycle. Thus, once the cycle is running, no additional water from the mains is required!

 

How the new system works exactly, is explained by the designer Peter Riedel. He, together with his company Peter Riedel Sports Technology, already built the approach track at Bergisel; now he is taking the next step with the new irrigation system:

"The new irrigation system is based on the fact that water-catching plates were laid under the approach track to collect water. Along these plates, the water from the track irrigation runs into two collection containers under the jump table, which together hold 4-5 cubic meters of water. From these collection containers, the water is re-fed into the system and pumped back to the launch, where it is available again for irrigation. So we have created a closed-loop system, a perpetual motion machine if you will. The water lost through evaporation is compensated by rainwater also collected by the plates. Therefore no additional water is needed for irrigation. Considering that water is a precious and scarce resource and costs are rising, the savings potential for training and competition operations is enormous," says Peter Riedel.

The managing director of Bergisel Betriebs GmbH is also aware of the system’s potential for water use. Bernhard Niggler: “To ensure water for future generations, a responsible handling of it is necessary. For this reason Bergisel Betriebs GmbH has considered how we can reduce water consumption here. Our partner Peter Riedel Sports Technology has now implemented this new irrigation system for us. The costs will amortize over the coming years. But the most important aspect is not the financial one, but that Bergisel Betriebs GmbH, as the world's first ski jumping facility, uses this system and implements sustainability in daily life with this idea and a small budget.”

The new system, with its efficient, water-saving, and thus resource-conserving operation, hits the zeitgeist precisely and is an important contribution to making sports facilities and their operation more environmentally compatible, sustainable, and economical. The system could also be easily installed and adapted to all other hills where jumps are made in summer and which are equipped with track watering.

 

Innsbruck celebrates the world premiere of sustainable track watering; Bergisel sets new standards in sustainability and takes a leading role in this area!