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Germany: New sabotage warning issued for water supply

August 16, 2024

Authorities have reported yet another case of suspected tampering with a water supply close to a military base. Some 10,000 residents were told not to drink water while tests were carried out.

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A road sign pointing to the Bleiberg Barracks that shares a water supply with Mechernich
German military bases are on high alert for potential acts of sabotageImage: Benjamin Westhoff/dpa/picture alliance

German authorities told residents of a town in the west of the country to avoid using or consuming water from the taps on Thursday afternoon amid fears that the water supply had been tampered with.

The warning came after a hole was found in the fence around the supply, which also feeds a nearby military base. The warning was partially lifted on Friday, but residents were told to boil tap water before drinking it.

The incident in the town of Mechernich, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, was discovered after another suspected case of sabotage was reported close to a military base at Cologne airport, not far from the town of Mechernich.

Initial tests find no proof of contamination

Some 10,000 Mechernich residents were told not to drink tap water, nor to use it for cleaning or washing while investigations were carried out to determine whether the water had been contaminated.

"Due to unauthorized access" to Mechernich's drinking water system, "there may have been a health-endangering contamination of the drinking water," a town statement said on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the town said that a special fire brigade unit had confirmed the water had not been biologically or chemically contaminated, but further tests would need to be carried out to ascertain whether there were bacteria in the water supply.

Germany boosts defense spending, cuts Ukraine aid

Series of security scares

The patrol that discovered the cut fence at the Mechernich water tank was one of several that had been increased following the first case of tampering at a water storage facility.

That case saw a Bundeswehr barracks being closed down after a hole was found at the base's water supply in the district of Cologne-Wahn.

Following investigations, the German military said it had detected "abnormal water values" in the supply.

NATO also said there had been an attempted trespassing incident at its base in the western German town of Geilenkirchen late Tuesday.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said the security scares "show we must remain vigilant."

ab/rm (dpa, AFP)