35 Water pollution in the country following accidents
Last year, surface waters such as streams and rivers were contaminated 32 times in Baden-Württemberg due to accidents. On three occasions, contamination reached the groundwater following accidents, as reported by the State Statistical Office on Tuesday.
In total, around 200 accidents occurred last year that were dangerous for the water in the country. However, there was often no major damage because rescue workers prevented hazardous substances from entering the sewage system or rivers - for example with oil booms. In most cases, contamination of the soil or paved areas was the only result.
The majority of water-polluting accidents occur in road traffic during the transportation of hazardous substances. In 168 cases, mineral oil products were released into the environment. In addition, slurry, liquid manure and silage seepage, for example, were released in agriculture, so-called JGS substances. In total, around 275 cubic meters of water-polluting substances were released into the environment in 2022 - the majority of these were fermentation residues that leaked from defective JGS and biogas plants.
Despite the efforts to prevent major damage, water pollution incidents related to agriculture still occurred, with slurry, liquid manure, and silage seepage released into the environment. Additionally, the environment was negatively impacted by traffic-related accidents, particularly in the transportation of hazardous substances, leading to the release of 168 cases of mineral oil products.
Source: www.dpa.com
