Dresden (dpa/sn) - The city of Dresden has prohibited the withdrawal of water from streams, rivers and ponds due to the persistent drought. The Elbe is an exception. The ban is necessary because the situation is not expected to improve any time soon, even with occasional rainfall, the administration announced on Wednesday. The general decree applies from Friday until October 15th. Until then, water may not be removed with pumps or scoops. If violations are found during water controls, this can be punished as an administrative offence, it said. The fine is at least 50 euros.
The Dresden Environment Agency has been regularly examining the state of the city's water bodies since spring. A water flow below the average was found at almost all control points of the watercourses. "Some stretches of water, such as the Nöthnitzbach, the Weidigtbach and the Ruhlandgraben, have been dry since the beginning of June," said Wolfgang Socher, head of the environmental department.
