Randers Municipality has sent excavators back onto the polluted earth mound at the Nordic Waste site near Ølst, digging new ditches to divert rainwater away from the contaminated soil.
The work began this week and is expected to last about six weeks, DR reported on September 3, 2026. Municipal director Jesper Kaas Schmidt of Randers Kommune said the new channels will stop rainwater from becoming polluted as it runs down the slope.
According to Randers Kommune, the water quality on the Nordic Waste area has turned out to be worse than first assumed. That is putting pressure on the capacity of the treatment plant that handles surface water from the site.
The clean rainwater collected in the newly dug ditches will not simply be released. Per Schmidt, it will be mixed with the polluted water in a controlled process before treatment begins.
Diluting the contaminated water makes it significantly easier to handle in the treatment system, Schmidt told DR. He said it places less load on the membranes and other cleaning components, which allows the plant to treat far more water overall.
Not a sign of new movement
Randers Kommune stressed that residents in Ølst have no reason for concern about the renewed activity. As stated by the municipality, the excavation is a planned operation and not an indication that the landslide has started moving again.
Schmidt noted that neighbors are used to the site being quiet, with little visible activity. For a period, they will now be able to see machines operating on the grounds again.
The work is expected to continue until the middle of October, based on Schmidt’s assessment of the six-week timeline. The excavation covers the mound itself, where rainwater runs from the top down the slope.
Cost and expected savings
The project is expected to cost approximately 800,000 kroner, according to Randers Kommune. The municipality expects the investment to reduce the running costs of the treatment plant that handles water from the site.
The treatment system has been a central part of the municipal response at the location, where surface water must be cleaned before it leaves the area. With more capacity available, a larger volume of water can be processed with the existing equipment, Schmidt said.
DR illustrated its report with an archive photograph taken at the Nordic Waste site near Ølst in October 2024, showing Schmidt at the location. No further excavation phases beyond the current six weeks were announced by the municipality in the reporting.
