BERLIN (AP) — An investigation has found no evidence that the water supply at a major air force barracks in western Germany was tampered with, the country’s Defense Ministry said Friday, two days after the facility was shut down for hours over fears of possible sabotage.
The investigation was launched Wednesday after a hole was found in a fence at the water mains of the Wahn barracks outside Cologne and what the military called “abnormal water values” were reported. The facility was sealed off in case a perpetrator or perpetrators were on the premises, but no one was found and the gates were reopened.
The Defense Ministry wrote on the social network X on Friday that “manipulation of the drinking water supply could not be confirmed after extensive investigation” and that the quality requirements for drinking water were met. It added that “further investigations are ongoing,” without giving details.
The Wahnkazerne serves the military section of Cologne/Bonn Airport, where the German government’s fleet of military aircraft has its main base.
The incident occurred amid concerns about the potential vulnerability of the infrastructure to attempted Russian sabotage.
On Thursday evening, officials in the western town of Mechernich, home to a military barracks, reported that a hole had been found in a fence on the site of a drinking water tank and urged 10,000 residents not to use the water.
On Friday, they said an analysis had found no signs of chemical or biological contamination. They advised locals to boil water before drinking it as a precaution while further tests were carried out.
