The drinking water in South Zealand is the hardest in Denmark. This means that the citizens of the area more often experience dripping water pipes, calcium on the bathroom tiles and in water boilers etc. than the citizens in other parts of Denmark. The impact of hard water hits heavily on energy use and associated maintenance costs.

Therefore, The Danish water-supply company HOFOR has decided to establish water-softening facilities in seven plants and modernize tree large, regional water treatment plants to reduce the calcium. This solution benefits both the consumers and the environment.

“The modernization of HOFOR’s seven regional plants is the largest water treatment plant project ever. We have assembled a great team of advisors to secure that their experiences are divided across the different projects in Søndersø and two other plants,”

informs the project leader from HOFOR, Troels Lund to the Danish building magazine Building-Supply. Read more here (Danish)

“Developing and managing the water treatment plants gives an exciting insight into a world where technique and process lead the design of the building. The primary assignment of PLH is to meet the wishes of HOFOR. Some of the wishes are to create plants with a visual identity that bring passers-by closers to the plant. At the same time, HOFOR wants to provide them with an insight into the water processes that make it possible for us to drink clean water every day,”

says Sally Rudgaard Jessen, Architect and senior project leader at PLH Arkitekter

An open and welcoming design

In collaboration with COWI and Niras/Krüger, PLH Arkitekter is developing tree water treatment plants at Søndersø, Thorsbro and Gevning in South Zealand, Denmark. The architecture of the three plants is flexible and welcoming - meeting the wishes of HOFOR to bring passers-by closer to the plants by using large windows and create footpaths close to the buildings.

According to the budget of the project, the water treatment plant in Søndersø is the largest Danish plant project in modern times.