Umweltbundesamt
The European Nitrates Directive, the Groundwater Directive and the German Groundwater and Drinking Water Ordinances require that exceedances of the limit value for nitrate of 50 milligrams per liter be prevented.Since 2008, the quality standard has been exceeded every year at almost one in six measuring points.Extensive changes to the fertilizer legislation have allowed the designation of particul... read more
The quality of the drinking water in Germany is excellent. Its main source, groundwater, enjoys a high level of protection and should be as free as possible from chemical residues. read more
The motto for World Water Day 2022 is "Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible". This is why "groundwater" was chosen as the water body type of the year this year. The largest available freshwater resources on earth lie invisibly underground. For many people in the world, groundwater is the only available source of drinking water. read more
Under the current legal situation, pesticides are authorised in Germany even though scientific findings show that they are harmful to the environment. The German authorities are currently unable to effectively protect the environment from harmful pesticides. This should be re-regulated under European law. read more
In order to develop and grow, apart from adequate water, plants need nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate and potassium and trace elements such as copper and zinc. Only if these requirements are met can high yield, high quality crops be obtained. Crop plants obtain nutrients and trace elements from the soil via their root systems, a process in which soil humus content plays an instrumental role.... read more
Pesticides can cause damage to the environment. A project coordinated by the German Environment Agency for the European Environment Agency provides the first overview of pesticides in rivers. lakes and groundwater reported by EU Member States. The report confirms that additional measures are necessary to ensure compliance with environmental quality standards in waters. read more
The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.
