Lauterbach (dpa/lhe) - From Thursday (December 1st), water can be taken from the streams and lakes in the Vogelsberg again. According to the district, the ban it issued in June was lifted again. "The situation with the water levels of the surface waters has recovered noticeably due to the precipitation in the past few weeks," said Environment Director Jens Mischak (CDU) justifying the decision. With the withdrawal ban, the district wanted to protect the waters, which were heavily polluted by the drought in summer.

However, according to the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology, the groundwater in Hesse has not yet recovered. At many measuring points, the level is still well below the usual level for the time of year. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the summer in Hesse was the second warmest and the driest since observation began.