Toxic Barrier for Erft, Rhine, and North Sea

Toxic Barrier for Erft, Rhine, and North Sea - Toxic Barrier for Erft, Rhine, and North Sea

A major project is underway to stop toxic mine water from polluting rivers in Germany’s Eifel region. For decades, heavy metals from an abandoned lead mine near Mechernich have flowed into the Rhine and eventually the North Sea. Now, a new treatment plant and a 'toxic barrier' are being built to cut off the contamination at its source.

The pollution stems from the Burgfeyer mine, once part of a mining tradition dating back to Roman times. Operations continued until the 1950s, but since then, around 10 million cubic metres of contaminated water have leaked from the site each year. This toxic flow travels through the Veybach and Erft rivers before reaching the Rhine, carrying over 50 tons of heavy metals into the North Sea annually.

The Erft River Association is leading the effort to tackle the problem. A treatment facility will filter out heavy metals before the water exits the mine. Alongside this, a permeable reactive barrier—dubbed the 'toxic barrier'—will block the pollution at its origin. The project is being managed by DECHEMA, a chemical and biotechnology society, on behalf of North Rhine-Westphalia’s environmental agency, LANUV. The combined measures aim to drastically reduce the heavy metal contamination that has persisted for generations. Once operational, the system will prevent the spread of pollutants into major waterways and, ultimately, the sea.

The new treatment plant and barrier mark a direct response to a long-standing environmental issue. By stopping the heavy metals at their source, the project will cut off the flow of over 50 tons of pollutants reaching the North Sea every year. Authorities expect the measures to significantly improve water quality in the affected rivers and beyond.