Water removal ban in Cottbus: Red alarm level because of drought!

Water removal ban in Cottbus: Red alarm level because of drought!

In the fight against the ongoing drought, the city of Cottbus and the district of Spree-Neisse made a drastic decision: from Friday, June 29, 2025, a full-day ban on water from rivers and lakes will come into force in the entire city area of ​​Cottbus and in the catchment area of ​​the Spree of the Spree-Neiße circle. This reports rbb So far, the water withdrawal ban has only been applied during the day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. But the situation has tightened: The water level on the level Leibsch in the Dahme-Spreewald has been under the critical value for over a week and forces the authorities to take this step. Even the Saxon dams that give additional water quantities cannot support the Juni quota that has already been used. This shows how serious the situation is and that similar measures had to be taken in many counties, including Dahme-Spreewald and Oberspreewald-Lausitz.

affected regions

The water withdrawal bans are not only limited to Cottbus. As rbb24 are also affected, the districts of Spree-Neiße, Dahme-Spreewald, Oberspreewald-Lausitz and Elbe-Elster are also affected. Due to the drought, a general ban on water withdrawal from surface waters was issued due to the drought, which has been in force since June 20, 2025.

• Spree-Neisse: Water removal ban from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. applies to Spremberg, Drebkau and several other places.
• Dahme-Spreewald: Something prohibited between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for Lübben and Luckau.
• Oberspreewald-Lausitz: Restrictions also apply in the middle Spree and for the Black Elster.
• Elbe-Elster: Here is an unrestricted removal ban; Applications for exceptional permits are necessary.

causes and outlook

The cause of the low -water conditions is the continued drought, which was caused by historically low rainfall, especially in the winter months. As hydrologist Ingolf Arnold shows, only a quarter of the usual amount of precipitation fell until June of this year. These developments bring the water withdrawal bans, which could possibly become a new normality in the region. This is also reported by the Tagesspiegel .

The authorities ask the population for understanding and consideration when dealing with water. The pumping with garden pumps is prohibited, but scooping with a watering can is allowed when it happens in moderation. These measures are intended to serve to stabilize the currently critical situation of the water levels and to protect the ecological condition of the waters. The challenge that stands here in front of the region is immense and it requires collective action.