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Weimar in a water emergency: Strict ban on withdrawals until October!
In Weimar, persistent drought is forcing drastic measures: water withdrawal from bodies of water is banned until October 2025.
Weimar in a water emergency: Strict ban on withdrawals until October!
The ongoing drought in Thuringia is causing more and more problems for people and nature. The situation is particularly bad in Weimar. Here the water levels in bodies of water, especially the Ilm, are falling dramatically. Rainfall in recent months remains well below the long-term average, making the situation even worse. Loud thuringia24 Exceptionally low amounts of rain were recorded in April, May and June 2025 - a catastrophe for the region's ecosystems.
The Weimar city administration has reacted and is taking drastic measures. A temporary ban on withdrawing water from municipal waters has been in effect since July 4, 2025. This not only affects Weimar, but also several municipalities in Thuringia. Similar bans have been issued in the districts of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Weimarer Land and Hildburghausen; Even the Saale-Orla district has been calling for water withdrawals to be avoided since last week. Only drawing water with hand-held vessels for cattle troughs remains permitted. n-tv reports that the bans were not issued without reason: there is a risk of irreversible damage to surface waters and the preservation of basic ecological functions must be ensured.
The effects of drought
The situation in Thuringia reflects a nationwide trend. 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 telling is that March 2025 was the sixth driest March since 1881, with only 21% of the precipitation compared to the 1991-2020 average. According to the information from Federal Environment Agency Soils across Germany are suffering from drought stress, which also affects the available water resources.
In many regions, groundwater levels are extremely low. The water values are critical at every third measuring point in Thuringia. The Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation (TLUBN) makes it clear that the drought is not only a challenge for nature, but also for agriculture. Crop failures are possible, which could further aggravate the already tense situation in agriculture.
What's next?
There is still no change in the weather situation in sight. As forecasters forecast, no significant rainfall is expected in the coming weeks. This raises the question of whether the water balance in Thuringia can be maintained in the long term. The city of Weimar therefore asks citizens to understand the measures taken and points out that these are essential to maintain the ecological status of the waters and to avoid potentially harmful effects on the aquatic flora and fauna.
In summary, drought is not just a temporary phenomenon but calls on all of us to be careful with our water resources. The city administration and the Federal Environment Agency are committed to finding solutions to ensure long-term water availability in the region.