The Regional Prosecutor's Office for Warsaw - Praga Północ has launched an investigation into the malfunction at the wastewater treatment plant "Czajka". The inquiry will focus on potential causing danger to health and life of many people.

The Warsaw city authorities informed the residents about the malfunction at the wastewater treatment plant on Wednesday. The accident, however, took place on Tuesday morning, when one of the tanks collecting sewage from the left-bank Warsaw. The waste was directed into the second tank which broke down on Wednesday.

Due to the malfunction, the Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company (MPWiK) decided to perform a controlled drop of the waste into the Vistula river. The company reassured that the waste was released below the water intake points, so there's no danger of contamination.

The prosecutor's office in Praga Północ district has launched an investigation into the accident, focusing on potential putting health and life of many people at risk, in the form of epidemiological hazard and causing significant damage to flora and fauna.

The prosecutor and the police are collecting evidence in this case. The Minister of Environment, Henryk Kowalczyk, said on Wednesday that the MPWiK informed Environment Protection Inspectorate shortly before noon. "Keeping this sort of accident secret was a hugely irresponsible. So many hours, and practically in 24 hours we could have helped a great deal," he stressed. In the minister's view, this situation created a significant ecological danger.

Warsaw city hall denied the accusations and said that the part on "keeping secret" was a lie.

The head of the MPWiK, Renata Tomusiak, explained on Wednesday that the sewage transfer system to "Czajka" has been designed to cope with potential malfunctions, and the after one of the tanks broke down, the waste was directed to the other one. The next day, after the second tank broke down, the MPWiK notified appropriate services, in line with the regulations.

The National Water Management informed on Wednesday that after the malfunction at the Czajka sewage treatment plant, 3.000 litres of waste are being released into the Vistula every second. According to estimates, the waste should reach the city of Płock after 84 hours, and Toruń - after 142 hours.

Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP