The wastewater from the Woluwe Valley, the water filtering station in Brussels-North, is polluted with hydrocarbons, according to reports in Belgian media.
It is not clear yet where the hydrocarbons are coming from. Hydrocarbons prevent the purification plant from operating optimally because they break down the bacteria that have to clean the water, Bruzz reports.
Hydrocarbons - organic compounds made of hydrogen and carbon atoms - are found in many places, including crude oil and natural gas.
Brussels Environment is looking for the cause together with the Brussels Water Management Company Vivaqua, and Aquiris, but there has been no indication of error in Flanders or Brussels. If the pollution was caused by humans, there could be a heavy fine.
Anyone who has any additional information about these facts that took place on 19 and/or 20 September can report this to the environmental police via inspection-inspectie@leefmilieu.brussels.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
