Securing evidence and monitoring soil, water management and hydrogeological aspects for the Ihrhove III sludge disposal project: Lot 1 - Water Protection Officer (GSB) 10/2026 to 05/2029

In the Unterems and Leda rivers, regular maintenance dredging is required to maintain the safety and ease of navigation, and in particular to ensure the required depths for the transit of shipyard vessels. Unlike other areas, the dredged material from this maintenance will not be disposed of in the vicinity of the dredging sites due to the narrowness of the Unterems river channel, but will be transported landward along the Unterems, as close as possible to the river course, to land-based disposal areas (sludge fields and sludge lakes). Currently, the dredged material is transported to sludge fields in the Steenfelde sludge disposal area. From 2026, areas in the Ihrhove region, which were already sludged between 2006 and 2017, will be sludged for the second time. The Ihrhove III sludge disposal area has been divided into three construction sections. Each construction section is further divided into structurally separate sludge fields. The first construction section has eleven individual sludge fields. Fields G8 and G9 are currently under construction. The preparation of sludge fields G1 to G4 will begin in summer 2026. The remaining five sludge fields (G5 to G7 and G10, G11) will be prepared as needed, likely by 2028. Typically, there are two to three dredging campaigns per year. One campaign lasts approximately 16 weeks for the entire Unterems. The main dredging area is located at Ems-km 0-15. This material is mainly pumped into the sludge fields. Pumping into the sludge fields is limited to 16 hours per day. In this context, various water management and hydrogeological aspects must be considered. Compliance with legal regulations, conditions, and requirements for water protection must be monitored, supervised, and guided during the construction, usage, and reclamation phases. The evidence securing and monitoring program for groundwater and surface water must be implemented, carried out, and further developed as needed. Measurement data regarding quality and hydraulics in the area of sludge water discharge, in surface waters, and in groundwater must be recorded. For this purpose, measuring points must be equipped, maintained, and, if necessary, new measuring points must be planned. The measurement data must be processed, evaluated, and archived. All project documents and collected data must be documented. Progress/annual reports must be prepared and submitted to the client. Upon request, additional expert contributions must be prepared on topics that may arise during the sludge disposal process. Furthermore, any additional reporting obligations imposed by the respective building permits must be fulfilled. Standby services must be provided for incidents during active sludge disposal on weekends and public holidays. Close coordination and cooperation between the water protection officer and the soil science construction supervision are required in certain areas of the project.