Friday’s extremely heavy rainfall is also having a negative effect on the water quality of Lake Constance. The Vorarlberg Environmental Institute warns that germ-contaminated wastewater may have ended up in the lake.
From Friday to Saturday, the water level in Lake Constance rose by no less than 21 centimeters. To clarify, it takes 5.4 million cubic meters of water to raise the level by just one centimeter! With the Flood, however, many germs – not least from the sewage system – were washed into Lake Constance.
Do not swallow water
While midsummer will make a dazzling comeback in the coming days, caution is advised when bathing. Especially the harder interior should be avoided, but the Bregenzer Bay can also be polluted by sewage water. Although contact with the water itself is not dangerous, ingestion can ingest pathogens – sometimes with fatal consequences.
How high the germ load actually is will only be known on Monday. The state environmental institute took samples on Saturday, but their evaluation will take two days.
If the results are of concern, official measures will be taken – these may extend to blocking individual bank sections and bathing bans. But there is also good news: given the good weather, the situation should improve quickly, as the high UV radiation kills the germs.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
