Dog urine and street lights: not the best combination. The urine of four-legged friends damages the stability of the poles. The theme is also on screen in Waltrop.
When a dog lifts its paw from a street light, it’s not just a territory marker. This is also a small contribution to the fact that lampposts rust faster. The city of Viersen now had a big problem with this matter – and even if there have not yet been any drastic consequences in Waltrop as in the city on the left-Bas-Rhin, the responsible supply and disposal company (V + E) has a screen to deal with here too.
What is this about? “The ammonia in the dog’s urine, the salts, the water and the aluminum all reacted with each other,” explains a spokesman for the city of Viersen. “This chemical reaction leads to corrosion. As a result, this weakens the mast so much that it is no longer stable.” Inspections in Viersen have already found more than 100 street lamps that are no longer allowed to remain, city officials said.
Modernization of steel hoses would be an exaggeration, says V+E
Request to V+E boss Bernd Funke: Yes, of course, this problem is also known in Waltrop. And it is also clear what can be done: namely, to protect the transition zone between the lower part of the mast and the ground – exactly the part that four-legged friends usually urinate on – with double steel sleeves in order to protect this sensitive part of the mast protects systems from damage. However, given the financial situation of the city, Funke does not consider it worthwhile to upgrade each lamp, for maintenance, repair and, if necessary, the replacement of which V + E is responsible since 2015, with these bushings. “But if the light still needs to be replaced, we buy a new one with this sleeve,” says Funke.
The stability of the lanterns is determined at regular intervals in accordance with the regulations by means of the so-called vibration test, in which the mast is artificially vibrated by means of a mini excavator with a gripping arm and it is checked whether it can withstand the vibration. forces.
No appeals to dog owners
Back on the topic of dog piss, will V+E boss Funke now ask the Waltropers to make sure their four-legged friends don’t put their little paws up on the streetlights anymore? “No,” Funke says clearly. This is probably going too far. He still vividly remembers the “Walthrop Against the Pile” campaign he helped initiate, which involved the collection of dog feces, which were then weighed by city officials. The same amount of animal feed was purchased and went to the animal shelter in Castrop-Rauxel, which is known to be in charge of Waltrop. Not all responses to this idea have been positive. It is sometimes necessary to “deal with more important matters,” we heard from citizens. Funke would like to avoid this criticism when it comes to dog urine and lanterns.