The Darmstadt Regional Council appeals for water conservation – water withdrawals from bodies of water are already prohibited in many places
The ongoing drought is causing a critical situation in numerous streams in southern Hesse. The Darmstadt Regional Council is therefore urging citizens to be especially careful with waterways and recommends refraining from taking water from streams, ponds, and lakes altogether.
Several municipalities and districts have already implemented corresponding bans. For example, the lower water authorities of the Rheingau-Taunus district, the Wetterau district, the Main-Kinzig district, and the city of Darmstadt have prohibited the extraction of water from surface waters. According to the regional council, the Hochtaunus district and the state capital Wiesbaden also intend to issue similar regulations next week.
The reason for this is the very low water levels and flow rates in many areas. These significantly worsen the living conditions for animals and plants in the waterways. To protect the sensitive ecosystems, the regional council is appealing to all citizens to water their gardens exclusively with collected rainwater.
Holders of water extraction permits are also urged to use the extracted water sparingly and to limit their water withdrawal to the necessary minimum.
Information on local restrictions or prohibitions is published on the websites of the respective cities, municipalities and districts.
(DARMSTADT – RED/RPDA)
