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Gardens in need: Watering bans endanger plants in Jerichower Land!
There is an irrigation ban in Jerichower Land due to the ongoing drought in the summer of 2025. Garden owners are affected.
Gardens in need: Watering bans endanger plants in Jerichower Land!
In spring 2025, Germany experienced the lowest rainfall since weather records began. This worrying situation has led to irrigation bans being imposed in some counties. This was also the case in the Jerichower Land district in Saxony-Anhalt, where this step became unavoidable. The ban on watering plants with drinking water between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. hits garden owners particularly hard. Doreen Methner, a 37-year-old from the Burg allotment, faces a major challenge as she does not have a rainwater barrel and fears for the survival of her plants, while other garden owners are in a similar situation.
Although the irrigation ban is a preventive measure in times of drought, it also highlights the serious consequences of climate change. According to the general manager of the German Association of Cities and Municipalities, Berghegger, such bans should only be used as a last resort. The heat waves and the lack of precipitation are a clear sign that the weather conditions are changing. Berghegger calls on municipalities to inform their citizens in good time about possible restrictions on water supplies. All of this comes at a time when water withdrawals from rivers, lakes and wells are already restricted in several regions of Saxony-Anhalt.
Irrigation in the allotment garden
The situation in the Burg allotment garden reflects these disputes. Karina and Maik Munkwitz, for example, use a 600 liter bin to collect rainwater. Access to water for the tenants is regulated via the facility's water system: Each leased garden receives three hectoliters of water free of charge, after which access costs 50 cents per hectoliter. However, the water is only suitable for plants as it contains too much iron for human consumption. Sebastian Skull, concerned about his cucumbers, strictly adheres to the watering ban. The pressure on hobby gardeners is growing, and caring for the green protégés requires creativity and commitment.
The challenges of climate change
The year 2018 already brought a similar stress test for the water supply in Germany. Long dry periods and high temperatures led to a significantly increased water requirement. Record levels of daily water consumption put the infrastructure to the test. Experts from DVGW have since recognized the need for action to secure drinking water supplies. The discussion about the priority of drinking water supply over other uses is becoming increasingly necessary, especially in view of future extreme droughts, which are considered a realistic scenario.
Current developments illustrate how important it is to prepare for water supply in times of climate change. In Germany, water suppliers must critically examine their systems and ensure that they can rely on sufficient reserves even during extreme weather events. Even though it is difficult, we as a society must improve cooperation between water suppliers, municipalities and civil protection in order to meet the challenges posed by climate change.