Substances Hazardous to Water; Report Accidents to the Police or Fire Department
Accidents involving substances hazardous to water can, for example, lead to fish kills or contaminate the soil and groundwater. They must be reported immediately to the police or the fire department (emergency numbers 110 or 112). The fire department will then take measures to immediately mitigate the danger.
Status: 11.08.2026. Link zum BayernPortal
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According to Section 62(3) of the Water Resources Act (WHG), water-polluting substances are solid, liquid, and gaseous substances that are capable of causing adverse changes in water quality on a permanent basis or to a significant extent.
If such substances are released in an accident, they can lead to water pollution either by flowing directly into a body of water or by seeping through the soil.
In the event of accidents involving water-polluting substances, municipal fire departments (volunteer and professional fire departments) fulfill the municipalities’ mandatory duty to prevent hazards in the event of accidents, in accordance with Article 1 of the Bavarian Fire Department Act (BayFwG).
It is therefore necessary to notify the fire department or police as quickly as possible in the event of such accidents. The legal obligation to report such incidents applies not only to the facility operator but also to anyone who fills or empties a facility, decommissions, dismantles, or removes it, maintains, repairs, cleans, monitors, or inspects it (see Section 24(2) of the Ordinance on Facilities for Handling Water-Polluting Substances—AwSV).
Provide as much detailed information as possible, particularly regarding the location and time of the accident, as well as the type and quantity of substances released.
The fire department’s operations center or police station will then notify other agencies, such as the district administrative authority, the municipality, and the water management office.
Please notify the fire department or police immediately.