As of: February 7, 2024, 7:00 p.m
By: Tanja Brinkmann
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A broad film of oil still runs through the Lauterbach days later.
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An oil film in the Lauterbach near Oberau startled a walker.
The reason for the contamination was a defective line on a heating oil tank.
Now an expert must clarify to what extent the groundwater and soil have been damaged.
Oberau/Eschenlohe
– Every day she walks with her dog along the Lauterbach near Oberau.
Enjoy the peace and quiet and let your thoughts wander as you look at the water as it widens towards Eschenlohe.
An oil film shimmering in all colors recently massively disrupted the idyll.
During her rounds, Karin Goldhofer discovered more and more contamination - and called the police, who are now investigating unknown people.
“I also found the pipe where the oil was coming out.”
Experts now have to clarify how it got into the groundwater pipe that flows into the Lauterbach.
“It is clear that the feeder pipe to the oil tank was leaking,” says Karl Zwerger from the Weilheim water management office.
“That has now been fixed.” It is also clear that the homeowner, who rents out holiday apartments on the Oberau golf course area, only received a new delivery of heating oil – reportedly 2,500 liters – in mid-December.
How much of it spilled “cannot be said,” emphasizes Zwerger, who is responsible for technical water supervision in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district.
After the damage became known, the fire brigade set up so-called oil barriers on the Lauterbach and also on the Loisach, into which the stream flows.
However, it now needs to be clarified to what extent the fuel has seeped into the earth and to what extent the groundwater is affected.
The affected area is in the water protection area
A soil expert has now been commissioned by the authorities, in addition to the water management office and the district administration office.
“He now has to explore the entire extent,” explains Zwerger.
And that as quickly as possible, after all, the affected area is in the middle of the water protection area for Munich's drinking water, to which the municipality of Eschenlohe also depends.
“To ensure that nothing happens, two of the six wells are currently switched off.” An approach that doesn’t bring any worry lines to Anton Kölbl’s forehead.
“In my opinion, this is not a problem,” says the mayor of Eschenlohe (CSU).
The whole thing “is not a nice story,” says his Oberau counterpart.
Peter Imminger (CSU), on whose floor the damage occurred, is now eagerly waiting to see what the report finds.
To his relief, his community's drinking water supply is not affected because it is located above ground.
The oil film in the Lauterbach can be easily removed through the oil barriers, Zwerger explains the procedure.
“The bigger problem lies underground.” The lower nature conservation authority at the district office is also involved here, “after all, the area is in the bird protection and FFH area,” says spokesman Stephan Scharf.
Zwerger rules out a possible fish death, which many walkers fear after looking at the oil film.
“One of our biologists is still investigating whether plants and small creatures have been harmed.” Like everyone involved, he hopes for quick results and that contaminated groundwater will soon no longer flow into the Lauterbach.
However, that is still the case, regrets Goldhofer, who is still there every day with her dog.