No unauthorized water use took place at CATL’s Debrecen plant, the CEO of Debrecen Waterworks Zrt. told MTI on Friday after an environmental association reported that nearly 4.5 million liters (4,500 cubic meters) of water had passed through a water meter located near the battery factory over a period of 41 hours.
A Facebook video posted by the Mikepércsi Anyák a Környezetért Association shows a water meter near Gate 2 of CATL continuously running, followed by footage of water flowing through a thick pipe into a drainage channel.
The association pointed out that the large amount of water was released while water restrictions were in effect in Debrecen. According to the group, they contacted the factory, which told them that it had not initiated the water use; rather, Debrecen Waterworks was carrying out technological flushing of the system.
Gorján Ferenc, CEO of Debrecen Waterworks, told MTI that the company is indeed carrying out the procedure, which concerns “the quality of drinking water and its maintenance” and has nothing to do with the factory. He explained that Debrecen’s approximately 1,000-kilometre water network is essentially a huge reservoir in which water flows in specific directions and at specific speeds depending on various factors, such as pressure and consumption, and remains in the system for only a certain period of time.
However, there can be operating conditions in which the speed of the water decreases significantly, increasing its “residence time” and resulting in secondary deterioration in water quality. High temperatures can further exacerbate this process. In such cases, intervention is required to alter the flow conditions within the network, he added.
Gorján Ferenc said that warm weather favours the growth of microorganisms, which makes flushing and rinsing the network even more necessary. During a first-degree water restriction, however, such an activity may indeed appear unusual.
He explained that the procedure, which has been ongoing since July 30, was carried out properly and in accordance with professional requirements, and the city municipality was also informed about it. A total of 8,795 cubic metres of water from a surface water source has been used for the work so far. The water use can be detected near the CATL factory because that is where the water can be legally discharged, he said.
The water then flows to the wastewater treatment plant and subsequently into the Tócó stream. The process of obtaining permission for the water to be discharged directly into the Tócó is already underway, which would help replenish the stream’s water supply, he added.
