Overview

• On July 5, Landkreis Zwickau enacted an Allgemeinverfügung barring all pump-based withdrawals from streams, rivers and lakes through October 31.
• Werra-Meißner-Kreis and Landkreis Gießen have prohibited surface-water extraction and warned that violations could result in fines up to €100,000.
• Regierungspräsidien in Kassel and Darmstadt are monitoring critical gauge levels and preparing further prohibitions in northern and eastern Hesse.
• Since November 2024, precipitation has remained well below average, driving water bodies in Saxony and Hesse to record lows comparable to the 2018–2020 drought.
• Local authorities are appealing to residents to limit private withdrawals and garden irrigation to avoid severe ecological impacts on near-dry streams and depleted aquifers.