The starting signal for the tap water-friendly Römer-Lippe route!

The starting signal for the tap water-friendly Römer-Lippe route!

Detmold, Deutschland - On June 3, 2025, the project launch for the initiative "Tap water-friendly Römer-Lippe route" was announced. This ambitious project aims to promote sustainability in the region's bike tourism and to improve access to fresh drinking water. The project is carried out by A TIP: TAP e.V., a non -profit association that is committed to drinking tap water. In collaboration with the project office of the Römer-Lippe route at Ruhr Tourismus GmbH, there are to be publicly accessible drinking water stations along the bike farming path from Detmold to Xanten.

The financing is carried out by the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE), the Just Transition Fund (JTF) in North Rhine-Westphalia for the period 2021-2027 and additional state funds. The project has a term of 21 months and is scheduled to begin in spring 2025. The aim is to set up refill stations every five kilometers to give both cyclists and residents: inside access to free drinking water.

sustainable water supply

The initiative builds on the positive experiences of the Ruhrtalradweg, which already operates over 100 drinking water stations. In addition to the stations, an innovative “water bar” is installed in the form of a cargo wheel that not only provides drinking water, but also provides information about the advantages of tap water. Ruhr Tourismus GmbH acts as a network partner and actively integrates municipalities and regional water suppliers into the project.

This initiative not only promotes ecological sustainability, but also creates economic and social added value for the region. All participating actors and interested parties are invited to actively participate in the participation of the project in order to jointly use the advantages of a sustainable drinking water supply.

The role of the Lippe

The Römer-Lippe route runs along the longest river in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Lippe. This river has shaped the bank areas and their inhabitants for centuries and served in the past as a threat to floods and as a central lifeline. He delivered important benefits in the form of water supply, food and energy and acted as a traffic route. Today there is no longer any danger from flooding, and the Lippe has developed into an important habitat for a species -rich flora and fauna.

The route leads to numerous places where the river and the surrounding nature are particularly protected. There are also different floodplain landscapes and projects that take up the topic of "water", such as:

• lippesee flood at Paderborn
• Lippeauen program west of Lippstadt
• Nature experience Auenland near Lippetal
• Life+ project in Hamm
• 2stromland in Olfen

These projects and themed information boards focus on the importance of water along the main route and on the "water experience" loops.

For more information and examples of the planned drinking water stations, interested parties can be interested in the websites of ruhr tourism as well as the Römer-lippe-route Visit