Dresden under water withdrawal ban: heat and drought strike!

Dresden under water withdrawal ban: heat and drought strike!

From Tuesday, July 1, 2023, it will be over in Dresden with the carefree water withdrawal. The city has pronounced a comprehensive ban on water that comes into force due to the continuing drought. On hot summer days like this, pumping from rivers, lakes and streams is prohibited throughout the city. Even scooping with hand vessels will no longer be allowed. The city administration, represented by René Herold, the head of the environmental office, underlined the urgency of this measure in a press release. It indicates the combination of missing precipitation and high evaporation, which leads to almost complete drying out of many waters.

Compliance with the ban is not only useful, but also necessary. Anyone who violates this threatens a fine. The city has decided that the water withdrawal ban applies up to and including October 31, 2023. Fortunately, the groundwater levels are currently still in the normal fluctuation area, which is why a restriction of basic water use is not necessary. Nevertheless, lower groundwater levels, as were observed in 2019 and 2020, cannot be recognized at the moment.

A look at the waters

The current situation is alarming: many waters in Dresden have already shrunk or dried almost. The environmental office has observed that drought is a serious problem. In the coming weeks there is no weather improvement in sight, which is not exactly easier for the situation. It is therefore of crucial importance for the Dresdeners to carefully use the water resources and avoid unnecessary withdrawals to protect the remaining water sources.

viewed in a larger context, such developments are not just a local problem. According to a project of the Federal Environment Agency , the effects of climate change on water availability in Germany are already being researched. The aim is to analyze the water resources and the floor water balance and to develop solutions to avoid usage conflicts. Because this problem affects all of us and will continue to gain importance in the coming years due to climate change.