By Birgit Buerkner
Thick bubbles filled with foul gases burst on the surface. They have broken free from the two meter thick, toxic layer of mud below and have made a way through the algae layer. It seems as if the forest lake in Zehlendorf is bubbling.
A broken paradise, once the habitat of many waterfowl (e.g. rare kingfishers) and countless species of fish. The result of years of shifting responsibility back and forth! District, Senate, Berliner Wasserbetriebe – pointing fingers at each other worked perfectly.
Now Berlin’s prettiest and most poisonous little lake could get a chance. On Monday, the Waldsee Association invited politicians and authorities to a boat tour.
Jan Lange, one of the 120 residents affected, shows FDP politician Sebastian Czaja on a boat tour how bad the lake is Photo: Ralf Lutter
“There is an urgent need for action,” said FDP parliamentary group leader Sebastian Czaja (39). And Stephan Standfuss, CDU parliamentary group vice, demanded: “The authorities must ensure environmental protection!”
The last measurements showed oxygen values of 0.2 milligrams per liter (10 are normal), the faecal germ limit values were exceeded 95 times, and high concentrations of cadmium, lead and zinc. Causes: rainwater discharged from busy roads and a lack of drainage. When it rains heavily, there is flooding in the houses.
A thick layer of algae covers the lake. The stench is often so unbearable that residents cannot use gardens or open windows Photo: Ralf Lutter
Environment Councilor Urban Aykal (48, Greens) now wants to bring all those responsible to one table. It should cost 180,000 euros to dredge up the toxic sludge.
Turgut Altug (57), spokesman for nature conservation for the Greens in the House of Representatives, wants to campaign for this. And solutions for the future of the forest lake are to be examined: a system that removes phosphate, poison filters, diversion of rainwater.
Airboat against air distress in Berlin’s waters
In order to avoid a tragedy like that on the Oder, a high-tech ship sails through Berlin’s canals at night.
Algae have spread in several Berlin bodies of water. The ventilation ship “Rudolf Kloos” enriches the Neukölln shipping canal and the Landwehr Canal with oxygen again at night.
The special boat with an 8000 liter oxygen tank on board covers more than 20 kilometers between Neukölln and the Unterschleuse am Zoo.