Schleiz (dpa/th) - The district office of the Saale-Orla district banned the withdrawal of water from the rivers Saale and Orla on Tuesday. The district office announced that it will apply to all streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and springs in the district from Wednesday until further notice. So far, the two rivers have been exempt from the ban on taking water from surface waters for irrigation of gardens and properties, which has been in force since 2019.
Water may not be pumped out of the waterways or scooped up by hand. According to the information, the ban also applies in the event that the responsible water authority has so far issued a permit for water abstraction - for example for cities and communities or farms. Violations can result in fines of up to 50,000 euros. The withdrawal of groundwater, especially from wells, is also permitted.
