German towns impose water extraction bans as drought hits rivers

Across many German municipalities, authorities have introduced bans on extracting water from rivers, streams, lakes and on irrigating gardens, lawns, public green spaces and filling pools. The measures respond to record low river levels and groundwater caused by weeks of high temperatures and little rain. Penalties for violations can reach up to €100,000. Bans are in place in Baden‑Württemberg districts such as Böblingen, Biberach, Esslingen, Enzkreis, Lörrach and Stuttgart, as well as in parts of North‑Rhine Westphalia (e.g., Cologne, Münster, Hille, Bad Oeynhausen), Lower Saxony (Hanover region, Goslar), Brandenburg (Elbe‑Elster, Potsdam‑Mittelmark, Havelland) and Saxony (Dresden). Similar restrictions affect the Ems river. The municipality of Lengenwang in Bavaria has issued a public appeal urging residents to limit water use, suspend lawn watering, pool filling and other non‑essential consumption, and is establishing a communal non‑potable water source for agricultural users. These coordinated actions aim to preserve drinking‑water supplies while the drought persists.