Dutch drinking water companies have formally urged German Environment Minister Lemke to “set limits on the discharge” of PFAS into the Rhine River. This plea comes as Dutch water companies rely partially on water from the Rhine for their production. The consortium of drinking water companies, RIWA-Rijn, highlighted that increasing industrial discharges in Germany are making the production of clean drinking water more expensive and challenging.
Dutch citizens and businesses are expected to face growing demands for clean drinking water in the coming years. However, according to RIWA-Rijn, the production of this water is becoming increasingly costly due to industrial discharges from Germany. The organization pointed out that Germany’s current practices do not meet the water quality agreements established both nationally and at the European level. Germany had previously agreed with other Rhine countries to include limit values in permits and eventually work towards eliminating all discharges.
Gerard Stroomberg, director of the River Water Companies Association RIWA-Rijn, remarked, “The agreements are in place but are not being enforced. That’s what we’re reminding the German minister of. The permits do have target values, but these are not legally enforceable, meaning there are no consequences if a company exceeds these limits.”
The result is that in some areas, discharge levels are ten times higher than agreed upon, and the Rhine water contains three to four times the safe amount of PFAS. Stroomberg noted that while the situation is not completely out of control, there is a need to address it more prominently.
The letter to Germany also references the collaborative effort with the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden to establish a European-wide ban on PFAS. Stroomberg commented, “The German government recognizes that PFAS compounds are so harmful that they should be banned across Europe, which is a stance we wholeheartedly support.”
Currently, Germany has made minimal progress in curbing discharges, according to RIWA-Rijn. The consortium believes that the German government should take action against companies discharging into the Rhine before a full ban is implemented. PFAS, a group of about 4,000 chemicals known for their environmental persistence, are used in products like non-stick cookware and water-resistant clothing.
RIWA-Rijn criticizes Germany for its failure to establish clear limit values for PFAS, attributing this to the lack of clarity on the “best available technology” for PFAS removal from industrial wastewater. The water companies argue that setting strict limits would incentivize the industry to develop better purification technologies or alternative substances. Stroomberg also criticized Dutch policies, noting recent European Commission observations about the issuance of perpetual permits in the Netherlands, which do not align with the Rhine Agreement.
Source:NOS
