Breitenbachtalsperre, drinking water reservoir in Hilchenbach, Germany

The Breitenbachtalsperre is a large reservoir near Hilchenbach in North Rhine-Westphalia that stores drinking water for the region. The structure consists of a dam with an intake tower for drawing water from different depths and a paved path about 5.5 kilometers long encircling the basin.

The reservoir was built after 1953 and began filling in 1956 with an initial capacity of 2.6 million cubic meters. In the late 1970s, the dam was raised to increase storage capacity to over 8 million cubic meters.

The reservoir takes its name from the Breitenbach, a short northern tributary of the Ferndorf. Since 1 August 2008 the Wasserwerksverband Siegerland has run a café and restaurant in the former Alten Wärterhaus (old keeper's house) directly by the dam. Because the lake is a drinking-water reservoir, no other leisure facilities exist around it.

The path around the basin is about 5.5 kilometers long, paved and easy to walk, perfect for strolling and cycling. There are benches for resting, a small restaurant called the Old Keeper's House, and clean public toilets near the dam.

The dam includes a special intake tower with four levels for drawing water from different depths of the reservoir. The underwater construction of this tower required specialized work during building to ensure stability and safety.