Legacy pesticide contamination in Aarhus - groundwater protection and management

In Denmark, a range of regulatory instruments are available to counter pesticide pollution. The statutory provisions are primarily based on voluntary measures, which may be supplemented by injunctions if this is considered necessary in specific cases. Targeted regulatory intervention such as injunctions to achieve pesticide-free production is required due to the discovery of extensive pesticide contamination of the groundwater throughout the country. Analysis of some 20 years of monitoring data has shown pesticides in about every third well, with the drinking water threshold being exceeded in about one in every six wells.