Karlovac residents demand German lab analyze tap water amid contamination fears

Residents of Karlovac are demanding an independent, international laboratory conduct a thorough analysis of their tap water, citing nearly five years of persistent issues with water quality. Despite official assurances that the water is safe to drink, citizens have frequently encountered cloudy, greasy, or brown water flowing from their taps.

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Five years of battling residents of Karlovac who provide photographic evidence that drinking water is sometimes undrinkable, while Vodovod i kanalizacija publishes results that drinking water meets all prescribed parameters. Enough of that! Enough uncertainty and bickering about what water we drink, and I demand a water analysis from an independent foreign laboratory, such as Agrolab group (Munich, Germany), accredited according to the strict European standard DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025, which will test the water at the very source – wells at Gazi and wells near the football stadium, with the widest spectrum analysis, as well as in the network itself to test for residual chlorine.

The prolonged problem has led to frustration among residents, who feel their concerns are not being adequately addressed by local authorities and the water supply company. While official analyses have consistently shown the water to meet required standards, the visible and sometimes oily or discolored nature of the water has eroded public trust.

Davor Petračić, an activist and former city council candidate, has formally requested the city administration to engage a reputable, experienced, and politically independent foreign laboratory. He specifically mentioned Agrolab group in Munich, Germany, as an example of an accredited institution capable of performing a wide-ranging analysis. This analysis should cover water sources, including wells at Gazi and near the football stadium, as well as the distribution network to test for residual chlorine.

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We are looking for the engagement of a reputable, experienced company with professional integrity, independent of politics, a company that, unlike local institutions, has the latest instruments for precise determination of all requested compounds, which our laboratories cannot even detect.

Petračić stressed the need for a company equipped with the latest instruments to detect compounds that local laboratories may not be able to identify. The proposed analysis also includes the detection of microplastics using advanced RAMAN spectroscopy. Crucially, he requested that samples be collected without prior notification to prevent any manipulation of water conditions at the source or within the network.

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Samples for analysis must be taken without prior notice to prevent the manipulation of the water's condition in the wells and the network.