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Walking the dogs: in Viersen, the urine of the four-legged friends became a problem for lanterns
Photo: Rupert Oberhäuser/ imago images
How much dog urine can streetlights take?
In Viersen, North Rhine-Westphalia, dozens have to be replaced because their aluminum masts have become unstable due to corrosion.
The city announced this on its website.
Accordingly, the material reacts with components of the dog's urine.
This was noticed because an aluminum mast on the Hageau Promenade in the city snapped off after a storm.
According to the city, the mast was the first in line – and therefore the first to break.
According to a specialist company, the stability of the other masts beyond May is also not certain, which is why cutting them down at a height of 1.30 meters will begin on Wednesday.
This is apparently intended to prevent the affected masts from becoming a danger to passers-by.
As the city of Viersen announced when asked, aluminum poles on unpaved surfaces in particular were affected - this applies to 1,600 of a total of 10,000 lanterns in the city area.
In a quarter of the lanterns checked, almost 120 had to be dismantled, it said.
However, there is a new problem with replenishment: due to supply bottlenecks, it is not foreseeable when the replacement lanterns, which are supposed to be made of steel this time, can go into operation.
The city also announced that it will not remain dark in the affected areas.
Accordingly, replacement masts are available for 50 lanterns, which can be put into operation with the old lights.
Temporary lights would be installed elsewhere.
Alternatives were not lacking
The city rejected the fact that dogs "marked" the aluminum poles because of the lack of alternatives.
Accordingly, there are more trees than points of light in the relevant places.
Nevertheless, there should be no consequences for dog owners, only for the new construction and replacement of lanterns: aluminum poles have not been used since mid-2017.
In any case, it is not a new phenomenon that masts are decomposed by urine in road traffic.
In the past there have been repeated reports of fallen lanterns or traffic lights as a result of corrosion from dog urine.
ptz/hba
