Denmark | The Danish Society for Nature Conservation
After six years of attempts to safeguard Denmark’s drinking water wells, voluntary agreements with landowners have fallen far short of expectations. Now, Danmarks Naturfredningsforening (the Danish Society for Nature Conservation) is demanding a state-imposed ban on pesticide use near these critical water sources.
In 2019, a broad majority in the Danish Parliament reached an agreement to protect drinking water wells from pesticide contamination. The plan, driven by pressure from environmental groups and water utilities, required municipalities to secure voluntary agreements with landowners by the end of 2022. If these agreements were not in place, a national ban on pesticide use in well protection zones — known as boringsnære beskyttelsesområder (BNBO) (protected areas near water wells) — was supposed to take effect.
However, by the deadline, only 151 agreements had been finalized, covering just about five percent of the designated areas. Instead of implementing the promised nationwide ban, the government, led by Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke, introduced an “emergency plan.” This initiative extended the deadline for voluntary agreements to July 1, 2024, while shifting responsibility for enforcing pesticide restrictions from the state to local municipalities.
Now, as the latest deadline looms, the numbers remain troubling. According to the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Miljøstyrelsen), only about one-third of the country’s drinking water wells have been protected, and just a fraction of municipalities have fully met their obligations.
A failed strategy
Maria Reumert Gjerding, president of the Danish Society for Nature Conservation, calls the situation a failure of environmental policy.
“It is completely unacceptable that after six years, we have made so little progress in protecting drinking water wells. This is a fundamental failure of the political system, and there is every reason to be angry about how it has neglected such a vital part of our water supply,” she said.
Gjerding argues that expecting municipalities to handle the issue through voluntary agreements has proven ineffective.
“These are the most critical areas to protect when it comes to drinking water, yet after six years, it’s clear that relying on municipalities alone has not worked. As a society, it is a massive failure that despite multiple political agreements, we have not secured our drinking water wells — even though the land in question makes up only a tiny fraction of Denmark’s total area,” she said.
Call for a national ban
The Danish Society for Nature Conservation is now calling on the government to expand existing pesticide bans. Currently, pesticide use is prohibited within a 25-meter radius of water wells, but the group argues that the restriction should be extended to cover entire BNBO areas. Landowners could receive compensation from water utilities, as they do under the current system.
“This is entirely feasible and could be implemented quickly. It is urgent to act because the spraying season is about to begin. Without protections in place, drinking water supplies will be further contaminated,” Gjerding said.
She pointed to past cases where national pesticide bans have been enacted to protect sensitive areas. In 2022, the Danish government imposed a blanket ban on pesticide use in protected nature areas under §3 of the Danish Nature Protection Act. That regulation was introduced without compensation for landowners, though those disproportionately affected could apply for relief.
“We know that municipalities, water utilities, landowners, and farmers have found the process extremely difficult. It has not been easy for anyone, and this only proves that leaving it up to municipalities without a clear deadline for a state-imposed ban was the wrong strategy,” Gjerding said.
Persistent contamination
The seriousness of the issue is evident in the repeated detections of pesticide contamination in water wells. For the fifth consecutive year, tests have detected pesticide residues in more than half of Denmark’s active drinking water wells. The most recent figures (.pdf, Danish) from the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) show that in 2024, pesticide traces were found in 55.7 percent of the wells tested.
“We keep discovering more and more pesticide residues in groundwater. The high levels of contamination in the upper groundwater layers make it clear that the problem will only worsen in the future. That’s why it is absolutely necessary to stop spraying near drinking water wells if we want to protect future water supplies,” Gjerding said.
A questionable enforcement approach
Meanwhile, some municipalities have indicated that they may not be able to meet the March 1 deadline for issuing pesticide bans, despite being legally required to do so. In response, Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke has warned that municipalities failing to comply will be referred to Denmark’s Ankestyrelsen (the National Social Appeals Board).
However, it remains unclear whether this measure will have any real effect. Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality, for instance, has previously assessed that exceeding the deadline would likely not result in criticism or sanctions from the board.
“It is deeply concerning that several municipalities have already said they won’t meet the deadline. That is precisely why the government must act now and implement a national ban before the spraying season begins,” Gjerding said.
“I also worry that taking the matter to the appeals board won’t have the desired effect. The case processing time could end up being so long that drinking water remains unprotected throughout the upcoming spraying season. While it is commendable that the minister wants to take action, bringing cases before the appeals board may prove ineffective in the short term. If drinking water wells are to be protected, a national ban must be enacted immediately. The government has the power to do this quickly if it truly wants to safeguard our drinking water,” she said.
Article Source:
Press Release/Material by Danmarks Naturfredningsforening (the Danish Society for Nature Conservation)
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