english Duisburg: There is much to do

Refurbishment needs and shortage of skilled workers - top issues at the RSV board meeting held at Wirtschaftsbetriebe Duisburg.

Sebastian Beck, Head of the Urban Drainage Division of Wirtschaftsbetriebe Duisburg, clearly set out the goals. During the visit of the RSV board, which combines its presence meetings for direct contact with network operators, Beck gave an insight into the condition of the wastewater pipelines and at the same time reported on the challenges he has to cope with.

"Trend is clearly moving in the direction of renovation"

There's a lot to do in Duisburg: Wirtschaftsbetriebe plans to repair more than 100 kilometers of public sewers over the next few years. "We see a clear trend away from new construction toward renovation," says Beck. In addition to trenchless rehabilitation methods, repair is also an important factor in repairing immediate damage and thus ensuring the operation of pipes with condition class 0 (immediate need for action), he said.

Search for staff, optimize planning

According to Beck, the biggest problem at present is not resources, but staff: As with many other network operators and municipalities, there is a shortage of engineers to tender, plan and monitor projects. Wirtschaftsbetriebe Duisburg, which would rather describe itself as a large engineering company, relies on good job conditions, such as collective bargaining coverage in the public sector, home office and flexible working hours, as well as a modern workplace. The imbalance of supply and demand on the labor market currently demands massive efforts in the acquisition of skilled workers - despite secure job prospects and a good overall package. Beck and his team are also increasingly focusing on optimizing the tendering, planning and construction monitoring processes.

One point that is close to the hearts of the RSV board members: "We generally find in public procurement procedures that projects are often only put out to tender for small routes. Here, you could achieve more with larger packages," say Volker Neubert and Benedikt Stentrup, who are members of the RSV board as executing companies.

Full program at the board meeting

The topic of specialists was, of course, also on the agenda of the RSV board meeting. Strategies for property drainage pipes, the finalization of leaflets, the recognition of rehabilitation procedures for AZ pipes, the upcoming general meeting and political work - the RSV board has a lot of topics "on the docket".

We remain in contact - both with regard to the acceleration of tenders and the issue of skilled workers - that was the conclusion of the meeting in Duisburg. The business enterprises are active in working groups of the RSV and want to continue to maintain close contact with the association.

From left: Volker Neubert (Aarsleff-Rohrsanierung), Benedikt Stentrup (Sanierungstechnik Dommel), Sebastian Beck (Wirtschaftsbetriebe Duisburg) Andreas Haacker (Siebert + Knipschild), Reinhild Haacker (RSV).

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