The water level of an Italian reservoir has dropped by 13.5 meters in two weeks due to a leak in a dam. The leak is located 80 meters below the usual water level, so the entire lake must be drained to repair the damage.
For two weeks, large quantities of water have been flowing out of the Zoggler reservoir, which is located in the Ultental valley in northern Italy. The water no longer only flows through the usual discharge channel through the dam, but also through tunnels normally used by employees to access the discharge channel due to the leak.
Before technicians can reach the damage, the tunnels must be free of water again. Therefore, the manager of the reservoir is now completely draining the lake. Every second, 15,000 liters of water flow out of the lake, causing the water level to drop by 1.5 meters per day. At that rate, it will take about three more weeks before the reservoir is empty.
The manager emphasizes that the emptying of the lake is done in a controlled manner and that the situation is constantly monitored. Moreover, the construction of the dam itself has not been affected. There is therefore no danger to residents in the river’s drainage area.
An empty reservoir looks desolate and can also not generate electricity. In addition, it is detrimental to tourism in the Ultental valley. The valley is located deep in the Alps and is therefore popular with hikers and mountain sports enthusiasts. But the mayor is not worried about that. “I prefer an empty reservoir that looks like a desert than a lake full of water that poses a danger to us,” he told RaiNews Südtirol.