Danube water levels remain low amid pollution and energy concerns

The Danube River continues to experience significantly low water levels. At Bazias, the entry point into Romania, discharge is expected to remain around 1,300 cubic meters per second until late October, potentially rising to 1,400 cubic meters. This remains far below the multi-year October average of 3,900 cubic meters per second.

The prolonged drought has already impacted energy production in Romania. Due to insufficient cooling water, reactors 1 and 2 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant were shut down in July and August, respectively, removing approximately 1,400 megawatts of capacity from the national grid. While water levels at Cernavoda fell below the critical -262 cm threshold, Nuclearelectrica stated that the reactors remain in a safe condition with redundant cooling systems available.

In Budapest, Hungary, untreated sewage was reported flowing into the Danube near the K-bridge in Óbuda for several days. Residents noted cloudy, foul-smelling water discharging from a building belonging to the Budapest Sewage Works. The discharge was stopped following public complaints, and only treated water is currently flowing into the river.