- Authorities re-test water quality near a Bundeswehr site
After discovering a cut fence at a drinking water tank in the North Rhine-Westphalian town of Mechernich, in the district of Euskirchen, the health authority warns against using the water. "Due to unauthorized access to the town of Mechernich's drinking water system, there is a possibility of health-endangering contamination of the drinking water," the town said.
The water tank also supplies water to the Mechernich military base, as stated on the town's website. It will be determined within the next few hours whether the water is contaminated or not.
The drinking water may be health-endangeringly contaminated, the town said. This warning is also issued in light of recent incidents at the military base in Cologne.
Authorities warn against drinking tap water
In Cologne, the air force base Cologne-Wahn was closed on Wednesday – initially, there was the unconfirmed suspicion that the water supply could have been sabotaged. A hole was found in a fence leading to the base's waterworks, and the military reported "abnormal water values" and initiated further investigations.
In Mechernich, the tap water should not be used for drinking, showering, or cooking until further notice. Around 10,000 people are affected by the warning. The water tank also supplies water to the villages of Strempt, Roggendorf, Breitenbenden, Weißenbrunnen, and Denrath.
The Commission, being responsible for overseeing such situations, may seek assistance from the Member States in addressing the potential health-endangering contamination at the Mechernich drinking water tank. The potential contamination at the Mechernich water tank echoes the recent incident at the military base in Cologne, where the Member States were also essential in addressing the unconfirmed sabotage of the water supply.
