During February 23rd to 27th, the suburb Rodenkirchen in Cologne (2km south Old Town) were protected against flooding with Aqua Barrier Flood Fighting System. An installation of 500 meter was done in 5 hours, along the Ufer-street in Rodenkirchen. For about three days the water was high up on the barrier. So far, it is the longest installation with Aqua Barrier ever done.

Assembling 650 pallet supports
A decision for establish a barrier along Ufer-street was taken by "Flood Protection Authority in Cologne" on Monday 22nd. The company RS Stepanek delivered 650 pallet support in afternoon. Assembling them was successfully done in 5 hours by 18 people from Town Cologne, Technische Hilfswerk and Bürgerinitiative Hochwasser, Cologne.

Water levels
Around midnight Monday/Tuesday the water level rised to the Aqua Barrier, just 4 hours after finished the assembling. Tuesday morning it was already 10-20 cm up on the barrier. The forecast was telling the maximum level 8.75 meter. The river Rhein was in this day rising nearly one meter and it threatend to overflow the barrier. A decision was taken to reinforce 50 meter out of totally 500 meter with sandbags. Finally the level stopped at 8.88 meter (Cologne-Waterlevel).

Release
The maximum protection level of Aqua Barrier was 8.87 meter, just 1 cm below the toplevel 8.88 m, recorded late February 24th. During the 25th when Geodesign visited Cologne, the level was decreasing but still high. In the evening it was 8.60 meter, and the people of Rodenkirchen were released.

Bürgerinitiative Hochwasser
The street connections to Ufer-street was closed during theese days and policeauthority controlled the barrier security together with Town Cologne and Burgerinitiative Hochwasser. A numerous flooding with a frequence of once per 2-3 year in Rodenkrichen, was the ignition to start a Local Flood Managment Society, Burgerinitiative Hochwasser. Chairman Gert Müller and his people strongly influence Town Cologne to take appropriate actions for protecting people and property.

Summary

• Approximately 500 meter Aqua Barrier was built in Rodenkirchen/Cologne. It was protecting against flooding for 95 hours, during the 23rd to 27th of February 1999.
• The Aqua Barrier was erected in 5 hours by 18 man, in heavy snowfall and windy conditions.
• One corner-element and two connections to concrete-walls were made in the installation.
• The leakage from the barrier was small and gave no problem. Bigger leakage was detected due to drainage pipe from the normal higher streets out to the river Rhein. Now, the water enters the opposite direction, from river Rhein to streets. It was managed and sealed of by City Cologne.
• The flood fight was made by City Cologne, Bürgerinitiative Hochwasser and Technische Hilfswerk
• The ground material for the barrier was asphalt.