Now that there is hardly any rain and the temperature is rising, the water boards in our province are taking measures. There is a ban on spraying almost everywhere. The Brabantse Delta water board announced a ban this Tuesday, and this has already been the case at the De Dommel and Aa en Maas water boards. “The limits of what the water system can handle have been reached.” We explain to you what you can and cannot do now.
What can’t you do?
There is a ban on spraying in almost our entire province. You are therefore not allowed to extract water from ditches, streams and rivers to irrigate fields, fill ponds or water gardens and sports fields. No water may be pumped from all side ditches and waters, such as fish ponds and fens.
In part of the working area of the Brabantse Delta water board there is an ‘hour ban’. This means that the spraying ban only applies between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The De Dommel water board makes an exception for the Dommel between Den Bosch and the Wilhelmina Canal and the Zandleij. And at the Aa en Maas water board, the spraying ban applies in three of the four districts. This does not apply in the north, around Den Bosch and Oss.
What can you still do?
There is an exception to the spraying ban. You can still use surface water to provide drinking water to livestock. The fire brigade can also use it to extinguish fires. Brabantse Delta also makes an exception for the cooling of fruit orchards.
And don’t panic for people who want to keep watering their (vegetable) garden this summer or fill a swimming pool with water: you can still do that, provided you don’t use surface water for it. “Most people will do that with tap water. Water boards don’t deal with tap water, so we can’t ban that,” explains Aa en Maas water board. “We do support the call to use water economically and sensibly, especially now that it is so precious.”
Why a ban?
The reason for the spraying bans is that there is too little water available to provide everything with enough water. And if the water level or drainage in an area drops too much, this can cause damage to banks and quays. In addition, animals and plants can die in the water.
Enough water is also needed to flush ditches and streams, so that no blue-green algae gets in. Blue-green algae has less chance to grow in running water. Water boards want to prevent this, so that enough usable water remains available until the end of the summer.
“We are doing everything in our power to ensure that there is additional water supply. But if the water is not there, it is not there. So the ban must also send a signal that we all have a problem and there is so we all have to pay attention. Hopefully we will be even more aware of water this way,” says Brabantse Delta.
Until when does it take?
In principle, the spraying ban applies until the water level has returned to normal. It is impossible to predict how long that will take. “The temperature will be gigantic again next week, so we don’t dare to make a statement about that. We are doing what we can for now.”
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