Potsdam is threatened with a water withdrawal ban: Havel water levels continue to fall!

Potsdam is threatened with a water withdrawal ban: Havel water levels continue to fall!

In the last few weeks, the weather has become a real challenge for many residents in Brandenburg an der Havel and the surrounding area. The persistent drought has not only caused the water levels of the Havel to fall sharply, but has also led to the introduction of strict water withdrawal restrictions. The Potsdam city administration is closely monitoring how the situation develops. The flow of the Havel is currently only 20 cubic meters per second. Tagesspiegel reports that the advance warning level has already been reached. If the flow falls below 12 cubic meters per second in three consecutive weeks, there is a risk of a water withdrawal ban, which would particularly affect allotment garden associations and some farmers.

The city of Brandenburg has already reacted and passed a general decree that prohibits the use of garden water fountains as well as watering and sprinkling during the day. This regulation applies until September 30th to protect water resources. Incoming warm and dry weather conditions have also led to very low flows in the Havel watercourses. According to the [MAZ](https://www.maz-online.de/lokales/brandenburg-havel/anhaltende-trockenheit-stadt-brandenburg-verbietet-tagsueber-waessern-und- Sprengen-RMD5IH2UJKAAE33RG5EAYVFRGU.html), the low water traffic light is already showing the first warning level (yellow) for the Havel, while the backwaters of Plane and Buckau are even on Stand red.

The effects of drought

The drought not only affects the communities, but also the entire region. The German Weather Service has determined that Germany experienced its driest period since 1931 from the beginning of February to mid-April 2025. What is particularly noteworthy is that March 2025's rainfall statistics only reached 21% of the average from the 1991-2020 period. [Umweltbundesamt](https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/wasser/extremprojekteklimawandel/trockenheit-in-deutschland-fragen- Answeren) highlights that even in May only around 48 l/m² of precipitation fell, which corresponds to 68% of the usual amount.

The northern and northeastern parts of Germany are particularly badly affected. Only a dramatic 9 l/m² of rainfall was recorded here in March. This continuous drought means that the DWD soil moisture viewer shows significant drought stress in the topsoil. The feared consequences are complex: from lower crop yields in agriculture to erosion caused by wind.

A call for water conservation

In view of the critical situation, the authorities are not only calling for restrictions, but also for a rethinking of water use. Citizens are encouraged to use water responsibly and to take tips for effective garden irrigation to heart. This includes watering the plants in the evenings and collecting rainwater to use in dry times.

In these challenging times, it is important to act in solidarity and take natural resources into consideration. Water abstraction from surface waters is already severely restricted, and with the looming ban on water abstraction it is clear that every drop counts.