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Water withdrawal ban in Potsdam-Mittelmark: drought forces action!
Ban on water abstraction in Brandenburg an der Havel from July 5, 2025 due to drought: Details on measures and affected areas.
Water withdrawal ban in Potsdam-Mittelmark: drought forces action!
The summer heat is hitting: From now on, watering private green spaces in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district is prohibited during the day. The corresponding ban applies between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and also affects the withdrawal of water from surface water bodies such as lakes and rivers for irrigation purposes. These measures came into effect on July 5, 2025 to address dramatically low water levels in the region. Ten other Brandenburg districts, including Spree-Neiße, Cottbus and Elbe-Elster, have already issued similar regulations [maz-online.de].
How the water level in many Brandenburg bodies of water has fallen and the warm, rainless weeks are taking their toll is not only evident in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district. A corresponding regulation has also been in force since July 1st in Brandenburg an der Havel and Havelland. Here too, water abstraction from surface waters is prohibited, while in Havelland groundwater can only be abstracted between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. The ban on water withdrawal is aimed at maintaining the water supply and is expected to apply until September 30, 2025 rbb24.de.
Water shortage in Brandenburg
The heat has made matters even worse: In Brandenburg, 15 of 18 districts are already suffering from “groundwater stress”, which means that more groundwater is being withdrawn than is replenished by rainfall. According to a study by the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND), this problem is particularly serious in many regions of Brandenburg and in Berlin tag24.de.
The climate crisis is also clearly noticeable here, with less precipitation and accelerated evaporation processes. Far more groundwater is extracted in Berlin and Brandenburg every year than is sustainable. Over 90 percent of drinking water is obtained from groundwater, so a rethinking of water policy is urgently needed, according to the demands of BUND chairman Carsten Preuß. He emphasizes that adjustments to water usage fees could be an important step tag24.de.
Violations of the new regulations force the local water authorities to carry out inspections, with severe fines of up to 50,000 euros threatened. The drinking water supply remains guaranteed for the time being, but current developments clearly show that the citizens of Brandenburg must prepare for changes in order to sustainably get the water shortage under control. It seems urgently time to demonstrate a good hand in water management.