MWB – Mittelhessische Wasserbetriebe, Eigenbetrieb der Stadt Gießen

What MWB – Mittelhessische Wasserbetriebe, Eigenbetrieb der Stadt Gießen does

MWB – Mittelhessische Wasserbetriebe is a municipal water and wastewater utility (Eigenbetrieb) wholly owned by the City of Gießen in Hessen, Germany. The organization traces its operational history to 1904 with construction of the original main sewer collector (Hauptsammler), still partially in use after 120+ years, and today operates one of Hesse's largest wastewater treatment plants with capacity for approximately 300,000 population equivalents and ~70 million liters of daily throughput. MWB serves Gießen's residential and commercial customers plus adjacent municipalities (Fernwald-Annerod, Abwasserverband Wiesecktal) through roughly 500 km of primarily separated sewer network, ~15,000 drainage gullies, and infrastructure for flood and rainwater management.

The utility's technology stack combines conventional biological wastewater treatment with specialized assets: a Phosphor-Recycling / Bio-Phosphat crystallization process (second-best phosphorus elimination rate in Hesse), biogas combined heat and power (BHKW) cogeneration covering ~60% of plant electricity demand, two hightech CCTV inspection vehicles with nationwide-unique flushing/milling equipment (€850,000 investment), and trenchless Schlauchliningtechnik for no-dig pipe rehabilitation. A 20-year canal inspection program and ongoing Hauptsammler Phase 2 construction (~740 m, €4.5M, 2026) reflect a multi-year asset renewal cycle. The Lahn-Fenster visitor center and fish-passage facility at Klinkel'sches Wehr double as public education assets. TSM certification from DWA (2014) validates operational and personnel standards.

Revenue is generated entirely through regulated utility billing to properties within MWB's monopoly service area, with three primary streams: water supply fees (Wasserversorgungsgebühren), wastewater fees (Abwassergebühren, including rainwater and connection charges), and canal infrastructure fees (house connections, property drainage inspections, professional services). Pricing is subject to municipal approval and publicly disclosed. MWB employs approximately 80 staff under interim joint leadership (Thomas Becker and Steffen Kraft) and is governed by a Betriebskommission. There is no private capital, no M&A activity, and no private equity or venture ownership — funding comes from regulated tariff revenue and municipal budget allocations.

Name

MWB – Mittelhessische Wasserbetriebe, Eigenbetrieb der Stadt Gießen

Legal name

MWB – Mittelhessische Wasserbetriebe, Eigenbetrieb der Stadt Gießen

Website

https://mwb-giessen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MWB is the municipal water and wastewater utility of the City of Gießen, Germany, serving approximately 300,000 population equivalents through ~500 km of sewer network and one of Hesse's largest wastewater treatment plants, employing roughly 80 staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Water and Wastewater Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (23711), Utilities (221)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) (EUANADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG), Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG), Regulatory Compliance Monitoring & Reporting (SDWA/CWA/NPDES, permits, audits) (EUANAJAA), Emergency Response & Sewer Repair (Blockages, Collapses) (EUANACAL)

Keywords

• Municipal water supply
• Wastewater treatment services
• Sewer network management
• Flood protection services
• Canal rehabilitation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gießen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wasserversorgungsgebühren (Water Supply Fees): Charges for drinking water supply to residential and commercial customers in Gießen and surrounding municipalities, regulated utility pricing
2. Abwassergebühren (Wastewater Fees): Charges for wastewater collection and treatment, including rainwater fees and connection charges, based on property assessment areas and consumption
3. Canal Infrastructure Fees: Fees for canal house connections, inspections, and property drainage services, including costs for private property inspection programs
4. Grundstücksentwässerungsleitung inspections: Initial property drainage pipe inspections covered by wastewater fees; additional inspections, remediation, and acceptance testing at property owner expense

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

MWB provides regulated municipal drinking water supply and wastewater collection/treatment services for the City of Gießen and surrounding municipalities, operating one of Hesse's largest wastewater treatment plants (~300,000 population equivalents, ~70 million liters/day) and roughly 500 km of sewer infrastructure. The offering is delivered as a natural-monopoly Eigenbetrieb with fee-based billing for water, wastewater, stormwater, and property/canal connection services, supported by advanced trenchless pipe rehabilitation, phosphorus recycling, and specialized CCTV inspection capabilities.

Product overview

MWB – Mittelhessische Wasserbetriebe operates as a municipal utility providing integrated water management services for Gießen and the surrounding region. The core portfolio consists of water supply, wastewater disposal through one of Hesse's largest treatment plants, and approximately 500km of sewer network management. Supporting services include flood protection, water engineering, property drainage consultation, and public education facilities such as the Lahn-Fenster visitor center. The organization employs specialized technologies including trenchless pipe rehabilitation (Schlauchliningtechnik) and CCTV inspection systems for infrastructure maintenance. Public awareness initiatives include the NO FOOD NO RATS campaign for pest control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wasserversorgung (Drinking Water Supply) Regulated municipal drinking water supply service for the city of Gießen and surrounding municipalities, including water origin and quality monitoring and distribution through the public pipe network. Sold to all connected residential, commercial, and municipal customers under a metered utility-fee structure.
• Abwasserentsorgung (Wastewater Disposal) Collection, conveyance, and treatment of municipal wastewater from Gießen and partner municipalities through the Hauptsammler and one of Hesse's largest wastewater treatment plants (~300,000 PE capacity, ~70 million liters/day). Sold to all connected properties under a regulated wastewater fee (Abwassergebühr).
• Grundstücksentwässerung (Property Drainage Services) Property-level drainage services for owners of private connection canals (Zuleitungskanäle), including initial inspection of property drainage pipes, issue of drainage passes (Entwässerungspass), consultation on sewage backflow protection (Abwasserrückstau), regulatory information (Entwässerungsantrag), and acceptance testing for new connections.
• Hochwasserschutz / Überflutungsschutz (Flood and Surface-Water Protection) Flood-risk and heavy-rain protection services for property owners and the public, including flood-risk maps (Fließpfadkarten), individual building-protection guidance, and rainwater-management consultation to mitigate surface-water overloading of the sewer system.
• Wasserbau (Water Engineering and Hydraulic Works) Water-engineering services covering river infrastructure, weir maintenance (e.g., Klinkel'sches Wehr renovation with Revisionsverschlüsse designed for 20 m³/s flow), and fish-passage and ecological facilities such as the Lahn-Fenster observation station and fish ladder at the Klinkel'sche Mühle weir.
• Kanalhausanschlüsse (Sewer House Connections) Provision, inspection, and approval of new and existing sewer house connections (Hausanschlüsse) tying private property drainage to the public sewer network, including fees, plan information (Planauskunft), archive information (Archivauskunft), and connection application processing (Entwässerungsantrag).
• Sondereinleitungen (Special Wastewater Discharge Permits) Permitting and oversight of special wastewater discharges into the public sewer system, covering direct discharges (Abwassereinleitungen), pre-treatment systems (Behandlungsanlagen), façade cleaning discharges (Fassadenreinigung), groundwater discharge (Grundwassereinleitung), and drilling water (Bohrwasser). Targeted at commercial and industrial customers who require regulated discharge approval.

Quantifiable outcome

• Treats ~70 million liters of wastewater daily from 300,000 population equivalent service area
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stadt Gießen Tiefbauamt (City Construction Office)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint infrastructure construction projects coordinating canal renewal with street rehabilitation; multiple current projects including Rödgener Straße, Läufertsröder Weg, and Ludwigstraße
• Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint construction coordination for utility infrastructure; SWG handles gas, water, electricity, and district heating while MWB manages canal work; current projects include Rabenauer Straße (sanitation) and main collector construction
• Firma Albert Weil (Limburg)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Construction firm awarded contract for Klinkel'sches Wehr renovation including revision lock replacement; specializes in unusual hydraulic engineering projects
• DüngekalkhauptgemeinschaftminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Sponsor for phosphorus recycling research project; interested in recovered phosphate as agricultural fertilizer input
• Heidelberg Cement AGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Uses phosphorus-reduced sewage sludge from Gießen plant as energy source in cement production; supports research project financially
• PD PAL Jakarta (Abwasserbetrieb Jakarta)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Technical cooperation agreement for wastewater management knowledge transfer to Jakarta; MWB provides technical expertise and staff training; supported by THM and TU Darmstadt for semi-central systems design; potential multi-billion EUR market over 20 years
• Technische Universität DarmstadtminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Academic partner in Jakarta cooperation focusing on semi-central sanitation systems for megacities in Asia
• Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Academic partnership for wastewater research, phosphorus recycling studies, and student projects in wastewater engineering; collaborated on Bio-Phosphat crystallization research with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Kompetenzzentrum für Materialfeuchte
• Wasserverband KleebachtalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201340-year cooperation in wastewater treatment; anniversary celebration noted in 2014
• Wasserverband KleebachtalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 197440-year cooperation (since 1974) with neighboring wastewater association for sewage treatment; DWA founding member relationship

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Kasselwasser: Municipal water and wastewater utility of the City of Kassel in northern Hesse. Strong regional peer to MWB given shared Hesse location, comparable scale, and similar Eigenbetrieb structure with regulated water and wastewater fees.
• Hessenwasser GmbH & Co. KG: Regional drinking water supplier owned by multiple Hessian municipalities. Comparable to MWB on the water-supply side of operations, serving parts of the same Hessian region under municipal ownership principles.
• Zweckverband Wasserversorgung Stadt und Kreis Offenbach (ZWO): Regional water-supply Zweckverband in Hesse serving the Offenbach area. Comparable to MWB as a Hessian regional water-utility consortium with municipal ownership and regulated water-supply duties.

Direct peers

• Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB): Municipal water and wastewater utility for Berlin, Germany's largest city-owned water operator. Closely comparable to MWB as a regulated Eigenbetrieb serving a major German city with integrated water supply, sewer network, and wastewater treatment operations.
• Hamburger Stadtentwässerung (HSE): Hamburg's municipal wastewater utility. Comparable to MWB in operating as a state/city-owned entity managing sewer networks, treatment plants, and flood protection with similar regulatory and engineering requirements.
• Stadtentwässerung Frankfurt am Main: Municipal wastewater and sewer utility of Frankfurt am Main, also located in Hesse. Highly comparable to MWB in regulatory regime, treatment scale, and operating model as a city-owned Abwassereigenbetrieb.
• GELSENWASSER AG: Major German municipal water utility group supplying drinking water to multiple cities and regions. Comparable to MWB in core water supply and partly wastewater activities, with a similar focus on long-term regulated utility operations.
• StEB Köln (Stadtentwässerungsbetriebe Köln): Cologne's municipal wastewater and sewer operator. Comparable to MWB as a publicly-owned German Stadtentwässerungsbetrieb providing sewer network management, wastewater treatment, and flood protection services under regulated fees.

Broad incumbents

• Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG): Sister municipal utility in the same city of Gießen, providing gas, electricity, district heating, and water distribution while MWB handles canals and wastewater. Already a joint infrastructure construction partner, making it a closely adjacent incumbent.
• Veolia Wasser Deutschland: German arm of Veolia, operating municipal water and wastewater contracts across Germany. Comparable to MWB in service portfolio but as a broader private incumbent with nationwide footprint rather than a single-city utility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mwbgiessen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mwb-giessen
• Instagraminstagram.com/mwb_giessen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MWB – Mittelhessische Wasserbetriebe, Eigenbetrieb der Stadt Gießen