Debrecen4U
March 24, 2026
Press Release
As the operator of the Environmental Monitoring System, the Municipality of Debrecen monitors all activities within the city that have an impact on the environment in cooperation with the authorities.
The surface rainwater drainage system of the Southern Economic Zone was designed and constructed with safety in mind, in such a way that it can be closed if necessary, thereby keeping the outgoing rainwater under control. Buffer reservoirs with a capacity of 1,000 cubic metres each have been installed in both the northern and southern parts of the industrial area; in the event of contamination, these are capable of retaining large quantities of rainwater, thus preventing pollutants from leaving the industrial area and entering natural watercourses. These reservoirs also make it possible, in the event of contamination, to remove and safely dispose of the water. Following the incident at the Debrecen plant of Semcorp Hungary Kft. on 18 February 2026, the system was closed and has remained closed ever since.
The Zöld Őrszem monitoring station located at the Southern Economic Zone is situated beyond the closed system, outside the boundary of the industrial area, next to the Tócó watercourse; therefore, during the incident it did not show any abnormal readings, which indicates that no pollutants entered the Tócó. The examination of any impact on the Kondoros Canal forms part of the official procedure.
A report of possible signs of contamination affecting the rainwater drainage system of the Debrecen Southern Economic Zone was received on 19 February 2026 at 9:45 a.m. Following this, the Municipality – as the owner and operator of the rainwater system – conducted an on-site inspection through its staff. During the inspection, it was established that foam was visible on the surface of the water in the drainage ditch. We immediately notified the Government Office’s water management and water protection authority, as well as the Trans-Tisza Regional Water Directorate, and at the same time ensured the physical closure of the affected section of the channel on both sides in order to localise the suspected contamination. To our knowledge, the official procedure initiated in the matter is ongoing.
The Municipality of Debrecen will continue, as it has done to date, to pay particular attention to the supervision of activities carried out in economic areas. We expect full compliance with the regulations from all economic operators; otherwise, they may face the most severe sanctions applicable under the law.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
