Water removal in Brandenburg: Circles experience drastic restrictions!

Water removal in Brandenburg: Circles experience drastic restrictions!

The displacement weather conditions are increasing Brandenburg. More and more cities and circles have to restrict water withdrawals from rivers, lakes and fountains. For example, those responsible in Potsdam, Brandenburg an der Havel, in Havelland and Ostprignitz-Ruppin and other regions are currently preparing general orders to protect the waters. This reports Tagesspiegel .

The situation is serious: In many parts of the country, especially in the southeast, regulations are already in force. Eight counties are particularly affected, including Spree-Neiße, Cottbus, Elbe-Elster, Oberspreewald-Lausitz, Dahme-Spreewald, Märkisch-Oderland, Barnim and Potsdam-Mittelmark. In these regions, there are already general orders for withdrawal from above-ground waters, such as n-tv determined.

causes and goals of the measures

The main reason for the drastic restrictions is the impending shortage of water that is unstoppable. The current weather situation leads to very low flows in several rivers. The authorities aim to counter a further decline in water and thus to secure the water ecological functions. An important measure that is taken in this context.

But the problems are not only limited locally. All of Europe has to fight with similar challenges. According to the European Environment Agency, only 37 percent of surface waters in the EU met the criteria for "good" or "very good" ecological condition in 2021. An alarming signal that underlines the urgency of the situation. The water quality also suffers from various stressful factors, such as of the European Parliament noticed.

protective measures

The main causes for the deterioration of water quality lie in industrial micals, agricultural-relevant fabrics and newly occurring pollutants such as microplastics. Therefore, the European Parliament calls for more consistent implementation of the existing EU regulations and adjustments to the limit values for pollutants in drinking water. There is still a lot to do here to protect the waters for future generations and to keep it healthy.

The situation in Brandenburg reflects a major problem that affects many European regions. A rethink in water management and a stronger focus on sustainable solutions is needed to better protect the scarce resources and to ensure water quality. A good hand will be crucial if we don't want to endanger our waters.