One million litres of beer and soft drinks spill, destroying 2.5 km of stream

A spill of about one million litres of beer and soft drinks has destroyed 2.5 kilometres of Smedeby Stream in Kruså, according to Aabenraa Municipality.

The incident occurred at a warehouse on 19 June, where 1,500–2,000 pallets of beer and soft drinks toppled, releasing the liquids. Some of the spill entered Smedeby Stream, which flows into Møllesøen lake.

Karin Storkholm, team leader for the environmental department at Aabenraa Municipality, said the affected stretch of the stream is now dead. There are no fish, and the area smells sour and fermented, with an overgrowth of duckweed, which produces nitrogen that suffocates the waterway.

The municipality was alerted to the pollution on 7 July after a resident reported the smell of beer. An inspection confirmed that beer and soft drinks had entered a stormwater basin and seeped into the stream.

Authorities do not yet know how much of the spilled liquid entered the waterway. Cleanup efforts are underway to prevent further contamination, and the municipality expects to finish the work within three days.

Aabenraa Municipality has asked residents to report any dead fish via email at [email protected].