By Michael Sauerbier
Heat, drought, drought – in Brandenburg, water is becoming scarce. The first counties have now banned lawn sprinkling with surface water. Violators face drastic penalties.
The city of Brandenburg/Havel was the first to ban the pumping of water from rivers, streams, lakes, ponds or drainage ditches this summer. In the meantime, the districts of Havelland, Potsdam-Mittelmark and Märkisch-Oderland have also imposed a ban on taking water from surface waters. It has been in force in the Uckermark since 2019.
Anyone who still taps water with a hose or submersible pump must expect a fine of up to 50,000 euros. That’s what the Water Resources Act says. Only the smallest amounts in buckets are still allowed: a maximum of ten liters per person per day in Märkisch-Oderland, for example. The only exception nationwide: The fire brigade can fill up fire-fighting water anywhere if there is a fire.
In Havelland and Uckermark, the daytime tapping ban also applies to farmers, nurseries and fish farms. If you want to water your lawn, you have to use expensive tap water or your own well water. In Potsdam-Mittelmark and Havelland, this is only allowed from late evening to early morning.
Brandenburg’s rivers are low because of the drought. Large areas of sand have formed on the Oder in Frankfurt Photo: Olaf Selchow
Brandenburg’s low-water traffic light shows the reason: almost everywhere it is on “red” because of low river levels. Only on the lower Havel and the Beeskower Spree have the warning values not fallen below. Ostprignitz-Ruppin and Oberspreewald-Lausitz are the next districts to prepare water withdrawal bans.
On the other hand, the capitals can blow up their gardens without worrying. “Berliner Wasserbetriebe is currently not expecting any restrictions on the water supply this summer,” said the Senate for the Environment.