The Stream, June 5: Europe Braces for More Floods

Extreme Weather
Eastern Germany is bracing for high water as the floods that have plagued Austria, Bavaria and the Czech Republic move east, Bloomberg Businessweek reported. The floods have set records in some towns, and prompted governments in both Germany and the Czech Republic to declare a state of emergency.

Water Contamination
After a summer of extreme drought followed by an unusually wet spring, water bodies in Iowa are registering high levels of nitrates due to fertilizer runoff, according to the Associated Press. The nitrates are a concern for drinking water quality and public health.

Low levels of radiation have been detected in groundwater flowing into Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, a development that could hold back plans to pump the groundwater into the sea before it floods into the plant’s basements, The New York Times reported. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the plant’s operator, previously said that the groundwater did not contain radioactive particles.

China’s Water Diversion
Testing has started on the eastern portion of China’s South-North Water Diversion Project, as the country plans to bring it online later this year, the Guardian reported. Opponents of the project worry about how it will affect the ecosystem of the Yangtze River, where the water will be sourced.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek