Water removal in the Esslingen district is sharply prohibited due to drought!

Water removal in the Esslingen district is sharply prohibited due to drought!

In the Esslingen district, the situation is serious: Due to persistent drought and low water levels, water withdrawal from surface waters was prohibited. This ban affects rivers, streams, lakes and ponds and immediately comes into force. The measure is initially limited until August 31 and aims to protect water ecology. Fish, other smaller living things and plants suffer from the currently low water levels, the low oxygen content and the rising water temperatures, such as [Esslinger Zeitung] (https://www.esslinger-zeitung.de/inhalt.trocktheit-kreis-esslingen- Untersagt-wasser withdrawal .9bf4c260-c42e-44cc-b237-9dff69c6231e.html) reports. It is not only forbidden to remove water with pumps, but also by hand, for example with buckets or watering cans.

The background is alarming: The German Weather Service (DWD) reports that Germany has experienced the driest time since 1931 from February to April 2025. March 2025 was particularly extreme, with only 21% of the precipitation compared to the 1991-2020 reference period, which made it to the sixth of March since 1881. Even in May, around 48 l/m², only 68% of the usual rainfall fell. This poor precipitation situation has meant that the water levels have now fallen below the medium low water, as also explained [https://www.umweltbundeamt.de/themen/wasser/extremereißnisseklimawandel.

The effects of dryness

Nature itself does not remain unaffected by the drought. With a level that defines the water withdrawal, the legal ordinance in force promises to avoid worse damage. It was found that the drought affects agriculture, water supply and ecosystems considerably negatively. Dryness can even lead to crop failures. The DWD soil moisture shows that there is dry stress in the top floor in many parts of Germany. The effects can be clearly felt, especially in the north and northeast. The Dürremonitor illustrates this problem by showing extremely to exceptional drought in the top floor, especially in the northwest and north of the country.

The number of water uses has dropped in the past decades, which offers a certain aspect of relief but can lead to bottlenecks. In Germany, the public water supply only takes 3% of renewable water resources. The private water use has also decreased, from 144 liters per person per day in 1991 to 121 liters in 2023. The national water strategy, which was decided in 2023, is intended to promote the sustainable use of water and encourage citizens to handle water carefully.

a common procedure

Despite the tense location, there is no comprehensive water stress, and the drinking water supply remains secured because 70% of the drinking water comes from ground and spring water. But the challenges are real. Local residents are called to keep special care for city and street trees in order to regulate their health and the microclimate. Because the adaptation strategies to the drought are not only for nature, but also for the people who live in these areas.