It is hot. It is dry. There is no precipitation. Not only in Germany. Now Italy is pulling the water emergency brake.
The situation in Lombardy and Piedmont is dramatic. Now the nightly drinking water supply is to be stopped in 125 communities in the Po Valley, reports the provider Utilitalia.
“In dozens of municipalities in Piedmont and Lombardy, tankers are already in use to deliver water,” says Meuccio Berselli, director of the Po river basin authority AdBPo “Corriere della Sera”.
Cottbus restricts water withdrawal due to drought
As of Wednesday, the withdrawal of water from surface waters by pumping devices is prohibited every day from 8 a.m. for twelve hours, the city administration announced on Tuesday.
Due to the ongoing low water level on the Spree, the Spree-Neisse district is appealing to citizens to use drinking, ground and surface water sparingly.
The permission-free withdrawal of water with pumps from surface waters will be limited in time, it said. Authorizations for withdrawals should be checked. Groundwater and drinking water should also be used sparingly.
In Cottbus, the withdrawal of water from surface waters will be restricted from Wednesday. According to the city, pumps may not be used between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
First district bans watering of home gardens
Because of the drought, people in the Ortenau district are not allowed to pump water from streams and rivers to irrigate agricultural land or gardens.
Due to the low rainfall, the water levels have dropped to critical values, informed Jürgen Mair, head of the office for water management and soil protection in the district of Ortenau. Larger amounts of precipitation are also not to be expected. In the event of a violation, fines of up to 100,000 euros are possible.
The district of Ortenau is the largest district in Baden-Württemberg.
Taking water from streams in Baden-Baden is prohibited
Because of the low water levels, people in the urban district of Baden-Baden should also not take stream water – for example to water their gardens, fields and lawns.
The city of Baden-Baden announced on Tuesday that if the drought and low water levels persisted, even small water withdrawals could have an impact on the water ecology and worsen the living conditions for fish and other small creatures. If running waters do not have enough water, algae can grow more and the oxygen content in the water can decrease.
The reason for the midsummer heat is a huge heat bell that is being “pealed” over Spain and Portugal.
We have been measuring 40 to 45 degrees there for days. This heat is now spilling over to France and then a part to us in Germany.