The Reisach groundwater intake is one of the most impressive structures in Munich's drinking water supply system. The beautiful circular building is located in the Mangfall Valley spring protection area – a magnificent landscape of forests and meadows.
At the Reisach intake, groundwater is extracted through three collection tunnels radiating outwards to a distribution shaft. These collection tunnels, driven into the water-bearing subsurface, have a total length of approximately 1.8 kilometers.
The intake was constructed between 1902 and 1912 above the main shaft. The heavy bronze door, like everything else on this shaft, is still original. The water extraction system is a gravity-flow system, meaning the water flows freely to the surface without the use of pumps. In addition to the Reisach groundwater intake, the Mühlthal and Gotzing hillside spring intakes are also located in the Mangfall Valley catchment area.
Since these three intakes are situated approximately 100 meters above the center of Munich, the water can be conveyed to Munich by gravity. They deliver an average of about 2,800 liters of water per second, thus covering 85 percent of Munich's water needs.