Even the announced precipitation, some of which is very localized, will not reverse the trend. They only ever cause a brief rise in water levels in the waterways, which then quickly drop back to a low level.
As it is unlikely that the low water situation will change in the near future, the Ludwigsburg District Office has issued a general decree. This prohibits all water withdrawals from surface waters. This also applies to existing water withdrawal permits, which are revoked for a limited period.
Excluded from this regulation are all hydropower plants, heat pump systems and other water utilization systems that discharge the extracted water back into the watercourse after use. The water withdrawal ban does not apply to the Neckar federal waterway, including its power plant canals, as these waters have a larger catchment area and therefore more water. The Gründelbach also has sufficient water from the Eglosheim sewage treatment plant, meaning that it is exempt from the ban until it flows into the Altneckar. The Mühlbach reservoir also has a sufficient groundwater supply. Local regulations apply to the Heiligenbergsee and Hohenhaslacher See lakes.
District administrator appeals for compliance with withdrawal ban to protect water bodies
The volume of water in surface waters is currently very low. This has a negative impact on water temperatures and oxygen supply and therefore also on the self-purification capacity of water bodies. Even stretches of water that still appear to have a higher water level are at risk. This situation is threatening for many animals and plants that depend on water bodies as a habitat. The removal of water from water bodies intensifies and accelerates this process.
The ban is intended to help ensure that the water situation does not deteriorate any further and that a minimum water flow is maintained in order to preserve the ecological functions of water bodies. District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier appeals to everyone's common sense to comply with the withdrawal ban in order to protect the waters. Violations of the general order can be punished with fines.
The general decree can be viewed on the homepage of the Ludwigsburg District Office under the heading Official Announcement.
Further information can be found on the website of the Baden-Württemberg Low Water Information Center(https://niz.baden-wuerttemberg.de)
