Alarming well water analyzes: High nitrate levels endanger health!

Alarming well water analyzes: High nitrate levels endanger health!

In the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, the focus is on a significant challenge for water supply: the results of the latest well water analyses. VSR Water Protection has carried out extensive tests and examined 378 water samples for various pollutants such as nitrate, iron and harmful bacteria. A mobile laboratory was active in cities such as Weiterstadt, Babenhausen and Reinheim to enable well owners to easily hand in their samples, be it directly on site or by post. These analyzes make a valuable contribution to assessing groundwater quality and provide those affected with important health information. Each well owner received an individual report that contained measurement results and recommendations for use. Harald Gülzow, physicist and water protection expert, was responsible for evaluating the data from the last six years.

A notable result of the study is that 27.7% of the wells tested exceed the critical limit of 50 mg/l nitrate, while 4.8% even have values ​​above 100 mg/l. This is alarming because high levels of nitrates can be dangerous, especially for infants, as they interfere with the transport of oxygen in the blood. Nitrate often ends up in the soil through intensive agriculture. The excessive use of fertilizer is the main cause of these unhealthy values. The VSR water protection makes it clear that uncontaminated groundwater should have values ​​of less than 8 mg/l, which is not acceptable in many regions, especially in areas with intensive agriculture. According to the experts, there is a massive problem with nitrate pollution in well water.

Health risks and causes of bacterial contamination

The analyzes not only reveal the nitrate problem, but also a worrying increase in bacteria in the well water. 17.1% of the wells tested were contaminated with coliform germs, while 2.7% even had Escherichia coli (E. coli). These worrying levels are often the result of leaky wells or broken sewage pipes, which can be exacerbated by heavy rain. VSR Water Protection has developed a checklist that helps well owners identify possible causes of bacterial contamination and take measures to improve water quality.

The results and detailed diagrams of the well water analyzes can be found on the VSR Water Protection website and provide a clear overview of the identified groundwater pollution. The organization, which has been fighting for clean water since 1980, has set itself the goal of these studies to minimize health risks and educate the population about the quality of their water. Nowadays, having a good handle on water is more important than ever in order to protect not only your own health, but also that of future generations.

For those interested, VSR Water Protection offers a variety of information on groundwater pollution and points out that water studies can be scheduled regionally. In this way, citizens can not only close information gaps, but also proactively contribute to improving water quality.

For a detailed insight into the results of the well water analyzes in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, please visit the VSR water protection website: rheinmainverlag.de and vsr-gewaesserschutz.de.