Water removal in Cottbus: counties impose drastic restrictions!

Water removal in Cottbus: counties impose drastic restrictions!

The continued drought in Germany leads to drastic measures to protect water resources. The districts of Dahme-Spreewald and Spree-Neisse have restricted the water withdrawal from above-ground waters with a general order. This applies in particular to the Spreesystem and the upper reaches of the Dahme and applies between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. to revocation. A look at the current weather conditions shows that the precipitation in spring and especially in May was very low, which already led to extremely low flows in the flowing waters. Without this measure, the flora and fauna in the waters could be significantly endangered, such as the [Zeit] (https://www.zeit.de/news/2025-06/19/landkreis-und-cottbus-schraen-wasser withdrawal).

Likewise, the city of Cottbus plans to restrict the water withdrawal from above -ground waters from next week. This decision is made in the course of the above -mentioned general order and is intended to help protect the water reserves from the continued drought and the deficit on precipitation. Another example of this precaution is the regulation in the Rhein-Sieg district, where the water withdrawal from above-ground waters has also been restricted since June 1, 2023.

background of the drought

The reasons behind these drastic measures are diverse. The German Weather Service reports that from the beginning of February to mid -April 2025, Germany has experienced the driestest period since 1931. March in particular was a real record dryer with only 21% of the usual rainfall. In May, just 48 l/m² of precipitation fell, which is only 68% of the normal amount. These developments lead to a worrying situation, especially in the northern and north-eastern parts of the country, where the top floor dried out heavily, such as the [Federal Environmental Office] (https://www.umweltbundamt.de/themen/wasser/extremereißniebsteklimawandel/trockeheit-in-Deutschland-fragen-wert.

This drought not only affects the water, but also on agriculture. The low availability of water negatively influences the harvest yields and plant growth, which can lead to long -term problems in combination with climate change. Agriculture only takes 2.5% of the overall required water resources, but even this proportion could have serious consequences in a drought.

tips for dealing with water

In order to optimize water consumption and avoid harmful effects on the water, alternative water procurement such as the use of groundwater and rainwater should be considered. In addition, the district environmental agency advises to handle drinking water carefully and gives helpful tips for garden irrigation. This is particularly important in order to provide city and road trees the necessary care.