Amsterdam and Utrecht face daytime water ban amid drought

The Amstel, Gooi en Vecht Water Authority (AGV) is set to introduce a water abstraction ban affecting cities like Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Hilversum, among others. Residents will not be allowed to water gardens, sports fields and farms during the daytime.

Watering ban implemented by Amstel, Gooi en Vecht water board

From Friday, August 14, residents in Dutch cities covered by the AGV water board will be prohibited from using water from rivers, ditches, lakes and canals for irrigation during the daytime, namely between 6am and 10pm. This applies to the watering of sports fields, gardens and farms. 

The only exception to the ban is for water management structures such as bridges or locks, as well as drinking water for animals, firefighting water and municipal public green space maintenance. This type of extraction ban is rare, but according to the water board it is necessary “because the water supply is under pressure”. 

“We see that the situation is deteriorating due to the persistent drought,” said AGV board member Sander Mager in a news report. “In addition, the drought and heat are expected to continue for the time being.” Restricting water use is important to maintain “safe and strong dikes, prevent soil subsidence and prevent permanent damage to vulnerable nature”. 

Barbecuing ban in Amsterdamse Bos

Water isn’t the only thing being restricted due to the ongoing drought. As of August 10, barbecuing in the Amsterdamse Bos is prohibited. With very little rain over the past few months, it is quite dry in the park, which has resulted in the fire department upgrading the fire risk in the region to phase 2.

As the risk of a wildfire has increased, Amsterdamse Bos has updated its rules to ban barbecuing until further notice.

Drought problems to last rest of year

The Drought Monitor by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) has predicted that even when rain does finally arrive, the effects of the drought will be felt for at least the rest of the year.

"Even if the weather shifts towards changeable to wet, the period of low river flows could persist into December," wrote Rijkswaterstaat. And the end to the drought is not in sight, with more warm weather forecast for the coming week.

While there have been periods of drought affecting the Netherlands in the past, most recently in 2022, never before have the Rhine water levels been so low, reports NOS. The precipitation deficit in the country will soon reach the same level as the drought in 2018 at around 300 millimetres, but some regions have already exceeded this, reaching a 400-millimetre deficit. 

Despite the effects of the water shortage on nature and agriculture, Rijkswaterstaat emphasises that drinking water supplies are “in order”, stating that the situation is being closely monitored with appropriate measures being taken where necessary.