Voigtländer · Aviation
Voigtländer, a product brand within the Hydreatio group, treats and monitors aircraft drinking water: the disinfectant is generated on site and dosed under control. This concerns airport operators, ground handling organisations and those responsible for water quality and engineering. Delegierte Verordnung (EU) 2025/20 (Delegated Regulation) is a ground handling safety regulation, not a water regulation. It generally applies from 27 March 2028; GH.OPS.320 (potable water servicing) covers aircraft drinking water. Technology alone does not create conformity.
Relevance and trigger
This concerns airport operators, ground handling organisations and those responsible for drinking water quality, engineering, quality assurance and water vehicles.
Particularly relevant if one of these points applies:
The topic is not relevant if all that is being sought is a blanket confirmation of legal compliance or a plant without a survey of the existing situation. A sound assessment replaces neither operational responsibility nor sampling, root cause analysis or the requirements of the competent authorities.
Risk along the water path
Drinking water does not stay under control simply because it reaches the airport in perfect quality. Between the feed-in point and the aircraft there are several storage, transport and transfer points. At every point, operating condition, cleaning, standing time, material, temperature and handling can influence water quality.
Storage tank with measurement. Photographed at Frankfurt Airport.
1Storage tanks and fixed pipe sections determine how long water remains in the system and how reliably the treatment condition is maintained through to the next transfer point. The assessment covers not only tank volume and throughput, but also stagnation areas, cleaning practice, dosing point, measuring point and sampling plan.
2Water vehicles and hoses connect the fixed infrastructure with the aircraft. Filling, standing time, cleaning, disinfection and handling on the apron all have to fit together. A single good measured value does not fully describe this process chain.
3The last transfer point decides the condition in which the water enters the aircraft drinking water tank. This is where water quality, vehicle operation, hose hygiene and the requirements of the aircraft operator come together.
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/20 is a ground handling safety regulation. It generally applies from 27 March 2028 and is not a general water rule. Within this safety framework, GH.OPS.320 covers the drinking water service for aircraft. AMC1 GH.OPS.320 describes regular testing at various transfer points before the water is taken into the aircraft drinking water tank, together with retained records, as an acceptable means of compliance.
For the ground handling organisations concerned, GH.OPS.320 requires, among other things, coordination with the aerodrome operator; the aircraft operator's procedures remain relevant for periodic quality testing. This page therefore does not promise conformity through technology alone.
More on this in the guide: Ground handling requirements from 2028.
From operation
Three short excerpts from live operation (videos in English).
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The process
From on-site anolyte production to controlled dosing and final measurement.
Modelled from the Voigtländer plant schematic and the owner's photographs, in the drawing language of the home page. The cards show documented facts only, no invented figures.
Technical approach
Voigtländer generates anolyte on site as required. The active substance is produced from water, salt and electricity and dosed under control into the intended water path. In the Frankfurt application this removes the need to handle chlorine gas. The solution is not described as chemical-free, and no blanket claim of that kind is made about chlorine.
The technical approach combines four tasks:
The active substance is produced at the point of use instead of storing and transporting chlorine gas.
The dosing point and target range are designed for the existing water logistics.
Measurement and control make the treatment condition traceable in operation.
Defined measurement and operating data support the review of trends and deviations.
The design does not start with the generator, but with the water path. Tank volume, consumption, vehicle rotation, standing times, transfer points, existing analytics and the required hygiene objective determine the concept.
Scope of review
The audit maps the existing supply chain, the operational triggers and the available records. It serves as a sound basis for deciding whether and how treatment with Voigtländer can sensibly be integrated.
We record storage tanks, pipe routes, transfer points, water vehicles, hoses and the supply to the aircraft. This includes volumes, throughputs, standing times and operational procedures.
Existing laboratory findings, measured values, cleaning and disinfection procedures and documentation routes are assigned to the actual transfer points.
We look at recurring anomalies, manual steps, the use of vehicles and staff, and points where data or responsibilities do not come together clearly.
You receive a technical assessment of the sensible generation, dosing, measurement and documentation points. If Voigtländer does not suit the water path or the operating objective, that is stated as well.
A simplified flow diagram or a description of the water path, tank and vehicle data, typical daily volumes, existing measurement or laboratory values and the specific reason for the review are all helpful. Missing documents do not prevent a first conversation.
Application
At Frankfurt Airport, drinking water disinfection for aircraft was reorganised with a Voigtländer system. The case study describes the integration of a g4000 generator, controlled on-site generation, monitoring and documentation, and the training of staff.
For this site, the primary documents record:
These values are results of the Frankfurt application. They are not a forecast or a guarantee for any other airport. The working hours saved each year amount to around 2,800.
The case shows that drinking water hygiene and operational logistics can be considered together. It documents a real application with measurable site results. It does not prove that the same values can be achieved at every airport.
For a new site, the water path, vehicle concept, consumption, existing disinfection, hygiene requirements and measuring points are therefore assessed afresh.
More airports
Besides Frankfurt, Voigtländer treats the drinking water for aircraft at two further airports.
Macau, China
The Voigtländer generator produces the disinfectant on site. The water is treated before it is delivered to the aircraft.
Saarbrücken, Germany
Anolyte from the Voigtländer generator is dosed directly into the mains water supply for the drinking water of departing flights.
Source: Hydreatio case studies. Results are project-specific.
Voigtländer in other sectors
Aviation
Buildings
Cooling systems
Food and beverage
Further applications
Every entry is a Voigtländer application. Results are project-specific and are not a forecast for another site.
Experience in aviation
Concise assessments of ground handling requirements, records and operator duties, with concrete implications for the drinking water service at the airport.
The ground handling safety regulation generally applies from 27 March 2028; within it, GH.OPS.320 governs the drinking water service for aircraft.
AMC1 GH.OPS.320 describes regular testing at the transfer points before the water is taken into the aircraft drinking water tank, together with retained records.
No. The aircraft operator's procedures and the requirements of the competent authorities remain decisive; technology supports controlled operation.
When all that is being sought is a blanket confirmation of conformity or a plant without a survey of the existing situation.
Voigtländer, a product brand within the Hydreatio group, treats aircraft drinking water by disinfection with anolyte: the disinfectant is generated on site and dosed under control into the intended water path. The Voigtländer system has been in use at Frankfurt Airport since 2003, and also at Macau and Saarbrücken. The entry point is a drinking water hygiene audit of the actual water path; a sound assessment replaces neither operational responsibility nor sampling.
GH.OPS.320 (potable water servicing) requires, among other things, procedures for the drinking water service that are agreed with the aerodrome operator. It sets requirements on chemical substances and microorganisms in the water taken on board, and calls for periodic water quality checks in line with the local health authority and the aircraft operator's procedures. Delegierte Verordnung (EU) 2025/20 (Delegated Regulation) prescribes no specific treatment technique.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Next step
If you would like to reassess your drinking water supply, we start with the specific water path and the operational trigger. In a first technical conversation we clarify which documents are available, which transfer points are relevant and whether a drinking water hygiene audit is the right next step.
Briefly describe your site and the reason for your enquiry. A few details are enough for a first contact. Technical documents can then be agreed on specifically.
Your enquiry is assessed by a specialist. You will not receive an automatic plant recommendation based on the form alone.
Understand EU 2025/20 and GH.OPS.320 correctly and structure your preparation.
Project data and plant concept of the Frankfurt solution.
A few questions lead to the right review path for your drinking water supply.
White paper: secure supply chains and operational preparation for EU 2025/20.
The key requirements of GH.OPS.320 for water service in ground handling, clarifying binding texts and AMC recommendations.
Voigtländer application at Macau Airport: anolyte produced on site, the complete system in a container.
Voigtländer application at Saarbrücken Airport: anolyte dosed into the mains water.
Voigtländer technology produces the disinfectant directly on site.
In a few questions, the Smart Match assesses your situation and shows the most sensible next review step for your water system.
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