Clean water is priority - implementation of the European Water Framework Directive in the German Ore Mountains

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD), which came into force on 22 December 2000, obliges Member States to bring all surface waters into a good ecological and chemical status by 2027. To this end, management plans are to be drawn up containing measures to achieve the necessary objectives. Regions that are intensively characterised by historical and active mining must find innovative solutions and must test technologies that are cost-effective and/or can be used in a non-labour-intensive way to achieve the objectives.

For example, the surface water body Schwarzwasser-1 does not meet the quality criteria of the WFD. In cooperation with Wismut GmbH, G.E.O.S. investigated the watercourse on behalf of the Saxon State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology with the aim of improving its flow and eliminating pollutant inputs.

For the implementation of the proposed action plan, G.E.O.S., together with Wismut GmbH, made suggestions for the reduction of typical substance inputs, that are typical to the ore-mountains, such as arsenic, cadmium and zinc. These substances enter the receiving waters via the three mining water tunnels.

The reduction of contaminants was successfully demonstrated by the operation of a passive pilot water treatment plant at the site of the "St. Christoph" visitor mine in Breitenbrunn/Erzgebirge.

G.E.O.S. Services

• Description of the pollution factors of groundwater and surface water bodies
• Sampling of sediments and water
• Action plans to achieve the quality standards of the European Water Framework Directive
• Planning and operation of water purification plants
• Monitoring of success