Nitrate pollution in groundwater: Unterallgäu district sounds the alarm!

Nitrate pollution in groundwater: Unterallgäu district sounds the alarm!

The nitrate pollution in the groundwater of the Memmingen gravel plain has been causing discussions and a need for action for several years, as the Unterallgäu district office announced on July 10, 2025. The responsible authorities have been aware of rising nitrate levels in the region since 2014. At that time, the city of Memmingen, the Bad Grönenbach market and the Woringer Group association contacted the Kempten water management office to draw attention to the problem. In 2018, the threshold value for nitrate in groundwater was exceeded for the first time at a measuring point, but the drinking water quality remains harmless so far.

The legal limit values ​​for drinking water, which are defined in the Drinking Water Ordinance and the EU Drinking Water Directive, have not yet been exceeded. In Germany the limit value for nitrate is 50 mg nitrate per liter of water. Nevertheless, around 26% of measuring points in agricultural areas are affected and cannot comply with this value; Overall, around 16% of all German groundwater measuring points have reported increased nitrate values ​​[Federal Environment Agency].

Responsibilities and measures

Responsibility for measures to reduce nitrate pollution largely lies with the Bavarian State Office for the Environment and the water management authorities. In this country, the fertilizer regulations are monitored by the Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry, specifically the office in Krumbach. The Unterallgäu district office has taken over the designation of water protection areas that were already established in 2001 and 2013 for the city of Memmingen and the Woringer Group. The protection of the Bad Grönenbach market, originally from 1981, is currently being updated; Hydrogeological investigations are ongoing.

The district office is calm about BUND's criticism of rising nitrate levels and has already initiated initial measures. If drinking water quality is at risk, water suppliers must submit appropriate rehabilitation plans that also include an effective fertilizer concept. Drinking water protection remains a priority, but this should not contradict agricultural use as long as it complies with the Fertilizer Ordinance.

The national and European perspective

At the national level, the issue of nitrates does not remain unattended. Germany has been criticized for failing to comply with the EU Nitrates Directive, which led to a ruling by the European Court of Justice in June 2018. This condemned the country for not taking sufficient measures to reduce nitrate leaching. The EU Commission has now closed the proceedings against Germany, but the need for action remains great, especially to avoid future penalties and to protect drinking water resources [Tagesschau] reports.

The amendment to fertilizer legislation in 2017 and 2020 should help to improve fertilization and reduce nitrate levels. Nevertheless, mandatory measures will apply in heavily polluted areas from 2021, which farmers must observe in order to avoid the situation becoming further aggravated. A current goal of the federal government is to reduce the nitrogen surplus in agriculture to 70 kg N/ha by 2030 in order to sustainably reduce the burden on groundwater, as the Federal Environment Agency emphatically emphasizes.

It remains to be hoped that a good hand will be shown at both regional and national level to successfully overcome the challenges of nitrate pollution and to secure our drinking water supply in the long term.