A woman washes her car on a summer day (stock photo). Can that be banned in Berlin in the future? Photo: picture alliance / Wolfram Stein
From BZ/dpa
The Berlin Senate is planning new state regulations to limit water consumption for households in the event of a shortage.
“Water consumption is currently increasing in Berlin – while the supply is decreasing. That’s why we want to include corresponding regulations in the Berlin Water Act,” State Secretary for the Environment Silke Karcher told the “Tagesspiegel” (Wednesday). Supply means the amount of water available in a system.
“The current and future decline in groundwater formation and surface water runoff to Berlin require increasing conservation of water resources,” the Senate Environmental Administration told the newspaper.
In emergencies, the state can already intervene here by means of the Federal Water Act. On this basis, a general decree is possible to limit water withdrawal for a limited period of time.
The environmental policy spokesman for the Berlin Greens parliamentary group, Benedikt Lux, had called for more powers for the country at the weekend to be able to take action against waste in the event of water shortages. “In emergency situations, we have to be able to ban things like lawn sprinkling, car washing or filling a pool,” Lux told the daily newspaper (taz).