To save his crops, Francis now has to get water from the Leie, for which he has to drive to Menen with his tractor and a water tank. This not only entails higher costs, but also raises questions. “The Heulebeek ends in the Leie. You can get water from the Leie, but not from the Heulebeek. I think many people don’t understand that logic,” the farmer concludes.
The prohibition on the Heulebeek capture applies immediately and may be a harbinger of further restrictions on other watercourses in West Flanders, should the drought persist.