Water removal ban in northern Saxony: This is how we protect our waters!

Water removal ban in northern Saxony: This is how we protect our waters!

In a drastic reaction to the continued drought, the district of North Saxony decided to strictly ban the private water withdrawal from rivers, lakes and streams. This measure comes into force immediately and initially applies until September 30th. The district office in Torgau announced that residents are no longer allowed to pump water. Those who have official permits must now accept restrictions. This ban is part of a larger package of measures to cope with the critical water situation in the region. According to the reports from Radio Leipzig, the levels of many waters are currently worrying.

"The unchecked water extraction not only threatens the flora and fauna, but also endangers the natural self-cleaning of our waters," said a person responsible for the authority. Smaller inflows are particularly at risk because they could dry out completely in extreme cases. Dealing with water is therefore required, and the population is asked to deal with the precious good even when watering the gardens.

overarching water withdrawal bans

The ban in northern Saxony cannot be seen in isolation. There are also similar regulations in other regions of Germany. The state capital Dresden has already issued a ban on water with the end of October, which coincides with the measures in northern Saxony. In the neighboring region of Brandenburg there have been restrictions in eight counties, including Cottbus and the Spree-Neiße district. The location is tense everywhere, since the whole country is repeatedly reported by low flows in rivers, as [Geo] (https://www.geo.de/wassknappheit-Wasser withdrawal-banned-staedte- on-dryness-35850154.html).

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the summer months are also characterized by water withdrawal bans-for example in the Rhein-Sieg district and in the city of Bonn. Here, a focus was also on a ban to protect the water supply. The water situation comes to a head everywhere, whereby fines for violations of the ban can be up to 50,000 euros in some regions.

A call to economy

The cause of the continued water shortage is not only to be found locally. The world climate worldwide advocates that Dürren is more and more difficult due to global warming. In many regions, waters already suffer from critical levels, which has led to a nationwide campaign for economical water consumption. The current drought monitor of the Helmholtz Center attests an increasing drought, especially in the east of Germany. As reports [TAG24] (https://www.tag24.de/sachsen/fuer-ein-s-s-saechsischer-landkreis-droht-den-hahn-z- 339913), it is also increasingly controlled in northern Saxony to enforce the regulations and protect the water supply.

The situation requires a rethink in dealing with water, and it remains to be seen how the population reacts to these restrictions. One thing is certain: so that we can continue to handle water in the future, we have to pull together together today and carefully operate with this valuable good.