It is best not to touch the stream water right now – not for you, and not for dogs. In the Rača district of Bratislava, at the Rendez location, residents found a mass fish kill: according to them, almost all the fish in the water body died. Police, firefighters, and inspectors from the Slovak Environmental Inspection (SIŽP) – the state body that investigates environmental violations – arrived at the scene.
Local residents noticed worrying signs even before the fish died: ducks have mostly stayed on the bank recently and did not go into the water. In local chats, dog owners were advised not to let their pets near the stream in this part of Rača until it is clear what is wrong with the water.
What theories are being checked
SIŽP inspectors, together with the police, took water samples and samples of dead fish for laboratory analysis. Two main theories are currently being considered:
- Lack of oxygen in the water. High temperatures and low water levels cause the stream to overheat: warm water holds less oxygen, and the fish essentially suffocate. Residents say that the stream bed is hardly shaded by bank vegetation, so the water heats up even faster in the sun.
- Pollution by an unknown substance. The police are also checking this theory. Long-time residents of the area recall that the stream was used in the past to discharge wastewater from chemical production, so possible old pollution at the bottom is also a concern.
The exact cause will be announced after the analysis results. Similar cases in the summer in Slovakia are, unfortunately, not uncommon: at the beginning of July 2026, 1.5 tons of fish died in the Nitra river near Partizánske — the police also investigated there, and the exact cause of death is still being determined.
What residents of the area should do
Until the investigation is complete, it is best to avoid this section of the stream: do not swim, do not let dogs go there, and do not let children play near the water. If you notice dead fish or a suspicious smell in other areas, report it to the Environmental Inspection or call line 158.
By the way, the stream itself is kept under control by utility workers: in 2022, the Slovak Water Management Company (SVP) cleaned the bed of Račiansky potok for a distance of 3.8 km to improve flow and prevent flooding during downpours. But a clean stream bed, as it turns out, does not save from the hot summer.
