Weißenfels (dpa/sa) – To protect against flooding, a rainwater retention basin went into operation in Weißenfels on Wednesday. In the event of heavy rain, the water masses would be diverted in a controlled manner in the future, thus preventing flooding, the city administration said. The collected rainwater is then to be routed from the basin via a rainwater canal with drainage into the Saale. According to the city, the total costs amount to around 1.2 million euros. Most of the money comes from EU funds.