The floods left enormous damage in the Ahr valley. Not only destroyed houses and streets are a problem. Other infrastructures were also damaged, such as the sewage treatment plants.
Koblenz – Since the flood disaster, wastewater has been flowing untreated and untreated into the Ahr. Because all sewage treatment plants in the Ahr valley were affected and damaged by the floods, said a spokesman for the structure and approval department north in Koblenz.
Experts are currently clarifying with the sewage works whether and how systems can be put back into operation. The first aim is to achieve at least a thorough mechanical cleaning.
“The focus on site is currently on epidemic protection,” said the spokesman. For example, it must be guaranteed that there is “a receiving water” as far as the Ahr. In concrete terms, this means that the sewage, including faeces, must be discharged from the localities. As long as the sewage systems are not repaired, at least temporarily, sewage will continue to flow untreated into the Ahr.
It is not yet possible to say how burdened the Ahr is at the moment, he said. With the flood wave, pollutants also got into the Ahr. Therefore, state authorities advise against contact with Ahr water, unless this is absolutely necessary for reasons of clean-up work. Precautions and protective measures such as wearing gloves and waterproof clothing should be observed.
“It is of course very likely that fuel, chemicals, intestinal and coli bacteria as well as toxins have flowed into the Ahr,” said the spokesman for the Koblenz authority. A measuring program to monitor the Ahr will probably start next week at least at the measuring points that are already accessible.
The water quality of the Rhine into which the Ahr flows is also routinely monitored. “To the best of our knowledge, however, no noteworthy abnormalities have been reported so far.” For the Rhine measuring station in Bad Honnef, for example, it was reported that no abnormalities that could be attributed to the failure of the Sinzig sewage treatment plant or large amounts of substances hazardous to water have occurred be. dpa
