Cottbus under water shortage: Ban on water extraction starting next week!

Cottbus under water shortage: Ban on water extraction starting next week!

The dry times bring new challenges for the Cottbus region. In view of the ongoing drought, the city of Cottbus has decided to ban water withdrawal from the Spree and its tributaries from next week. This ban applies to all citizens and businesses and is a response to the worryingly low water levels. According to lr online The outflow of the Spree has been below the minimum value of 4.5 m³/s since June 1st, and the prospects for improvement are anything but rosy - little rain and summer temperatures are in sight.

The city administration calls on the population to use drinking, ground and river water responsibly. Detailed rules for saving water will be announced by general decree. The State Office for the Environment took measures on June 5th to protect reserves by discharging less water into smaller ditches. These proactive steps are intended to prevent water shortages from becoming even more dramatic.

Regional restrictions

But Cottbus is not alone in this approach. The districts of Dahme-Spreewald and Spree-Neiße have also restricted water withdrawal from their surface waters. This regulation, which applies between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., was also decided by general decree maz online reported. The measures are intended to halt the decline in water flow and secure the water ecological functions. Cities such as Spremberg, Drebkau and Burg are also affected.

The background is alarming. Weather conditions have led to very low flows in the rivers in recent weeks and further worsening of the water shortage is foreseeable. These developments are not just a local problem, but also reflect a larger trend: extreme weather events such as droughts and floods are increasing. Anyone who wants to pay more attention to climate protection contact, as is increasingly discussed in the media, should follow current developments closely, also against the background of the recurring protests against inaction in climate policy.

Scientists like Professor Fred Hattermann from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research warn about the consequences of climate change. Due to changes in weather patterns, “1,000-year floods” could even occur every 100 years in the future, which shows how important it is to use water and resources sustainably. The increase in these extreme weather events is directly linked to global warming, which makes it urgent to find answers to climate change, not just locally but globally.

The next few weeks and months will be crucial: To what extent can citizens and companies implement the appeals to save water in order to do justice to nature and the next generations? Sustainable solutions are required here, because the problems can only be tackled as a group.