Pipes for (you name it) all external, all over downtown Berlin, over-under and around...

WATER PIPES - SWAMP THING?

On doing some research on the canals and rivers flowing through Berlin, I found more information on the above ground water pipes than on the multiple canals and rivers which flow through the city adding beauty, water bird havens, and the ability of people to boat and live on the canals - at least in the summer.  The city is built on swamp/marsh therefore groundwater is just bellow the surface. Every time construction takes place the water must to be pumped out and (more important) if a wall begins to seep, the construction site must be flooded fast so as to build pressure back up so that no surrounding building might be damaged.  Bottom line - there are many different water pipes in central Berlin, various colours, and above the ground.  They go over the street, dodge buildings, and generally serve to confuse the public.  

You would think that draining a swamp was a one-time deal. You drain the swamp, it’s not a swamp anymore, you build a city on top of your new not-swamp.   Not the case!  Instead, the groundwater stays just below the surface, where it needs to be pumped out of every new construction site and readers, trust me, there are MANY of those. In Berlin this job is done by above-ground pipes in Easter egg colors that carry the water to the nearest canal. Apparently a lot of people take these pipes – especially the ones at Potsdamer Platz – for an amazing and creative art installation.  Not the case - they are essential for the safety of people and buildings alike and they do lend the city a certain look!  Last week, on one of our many walks, we noticed the pastel pipes dumping water into a canal and it looked as though another set (and colour) of pipe was sucking water out as well.

A tourist at rest under a pipe.

Curly Q pipes backed by my fav fish motif - Koi!  Where is this water going?  And why is the pipe twisted in the middle?  Someone must know, but not me!