Head of operations

Drinking water: “We will master this too”

As a professional fire department officer, Wolfgang Germ has been entrusted with the management of the task force.

(Bild: zVg)

Wolfgang Germ, head of the drinking water task force, in an interview with "Krone" about the complicated search for the "leak" in Klagenfurt's drinking water system and new challenges in Carinthia's provincial capital. 

"Krone": The drinking water in Klagenfurt has been contaminated with faecal bacteria for more than three weeks now. As head of the task force, you are responsible for the supply and safety of the citizens. What is the current situation?
Wolfgang Germ: We can now say that the cause of the contamination must be in the areas in the city center that have not yet been released, or in the Waidmannsdorf area. Essentially, there are only three possible causes: A construction site where a section of the water main was replaced incorrectly, a sewer truck that incorrectly flushed a hydrant, or the contamination was introduced via one of the many private drinking water wells. Theories and rumors that the city of Klagenfurt is being blackmailed do not correspond to the truth in the slightest.

How much longer will the 30,000 Klagenfurters affected have to make do without drinking water from the mains?
We can't give an exact date, as that would create unnecessary pressure. However, areas are being opened up step by step and the search is being limited to an ever smaller area.

In the meantime, the drinking water that is distributed to citizens and institutions is treated and chlorinated, which worries many people even more ...
The dispensing water goes through a UV system and is then already drinkable, but so that we can be 100 percent sure that everything is really okay at the dispensing station, the health authorities have decided to take an additional safety precaution and therefore the water is minimally chlorinated - it is absolutely fine and normally drinkable.

Is this type of operation particularly challenging?
 Operations are always handled according to a pattern. A year ago, the professional fire department and I were on duty after the storms because of too much water and today, strangely enough, it's me because of too little drinking water. But I'm sure that we'll soon master this too. A dedicated team is giving its all and the mayor is also doing an exemplary job.