New water inflow above the main collecting point

On the 574-m level, uncontaminated salt water has again started to drip into the mine. This point of inflow already existed in the past but had stopped dripping in the meantime. The point is located about 80 metres above the main collecting point. The Asse-GmbH informed the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) and the Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie (LBEG) about this. Currently about nine litres per day of uncontaminated salt water are collected on this level. Compared with the main collecting point on the 658-m level, the inflow of nine litres is low. At the main collecting point, currently about 11,500 litres per day of uncontaminated salt water are collected. In the past inflows of salt water had already occurred on the 574-m level, among others in stope 3 until the year 1992.

The point of inflow and the collected salt water are monitored and analysed. Fluctuations of the daily influent volumes occur frequently and are a well-known effect in salt mines. Points of inflow may generate, run dry or shift. The BfS has commissioned the Asse-GmbH to carry on observing intently the inflow of groundwater and, if necessary, to report possibly occurring further changes.