Probe at German military base finds no evidence that the water supply was tampered with

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BERLIN (AP) — An investigation 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 sealed off for hours over fears of possible sabotage.

The probe was launched on Wednesday after a hole was found in a fence near the waterworks 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 grounds, but none was found and the gates were reopened.

The Defense Ministry wrote Friday on social network X that “a manipulation of the drinking water facility could not be confirmed after extensive investigations” and that the quality requirements for drinking water were fulfilled. It added that “further investigations are ongoing,” without giving details.

The Wahn barracks serves the military part of Cologne/Bonn Airport, where the fleet of military aircraft that serves the German government has its main base.

The incident came at a time of jitters about the possible vulnerability of infrastructure to attempted Russian sabotage.

On Thursday evening, officials in the western town of Mechernich — which is home to a military barracks — said that a hole had been found in a fence on the grounds of a drinking water tank and called on 10,000 inhabitants not to use the water.

On Friday, they said that an analysis found no sign of chemical or biological contamination. They recommended that locals boil water before drinking it as a precaution while further tests were carried out.