Bavaria's environment minister calls for water saving as second summer heatwave strains groundwater

Bavaria's environment minister has appealed to residents to cut water use, as the state prepares for a second heatwave of the summer. Thorsten Glauber (Free Voters), who holds the environment and consumer protection portfolio, pointed to depleted groundwater reserves and persistent dry weather as the basis for his call on 10 July.

"Jeder verantwortungsvolle Umgang mit Wasser hilft dabei, unsere natürlichen Ressourcen zu schonen," Glauber said, according to a dpa report carried by multiple outlets. He left decisions on specific conservation measures to local authorities, who would assess the situation on the ground.

Supply safe but strained

Glauber stressed that Bavaria's public water supply remains secure for now. However, he warned that the combination of heatwaves and scarce precipitation this year was making the effects of climate change increasingly visible in the region. Prolonged dryness, he said, is leading to low streamflows and falling groundwater levels, which could cause "local and selective" usage restrictions. Spring rainfall was historically low, according to city officials, meaning very little new groundwater was formed. Recent rain in preceding weeks did almost nothing to change the situation, Munich's municipal utility Stadtwerke München stated.

Munich takes emergency steps

The city of Munich had already enacted what it called emergency water-saving measures. Ten of its 150 decorative fountains, those with the highest consumption, were switched off. The city said this single move saves 43 percent of the total water used by all its fountains. A further 56 fountains will operate for shorter periods to reduce draw on the supply.

Wider local restrictions

Other Bavarian municipalities have taken their own steps in recent days. Landau an der Isar imposed a watering ban covering lawns, green spaces, and sports and riding grounds. Filling swimming pools and washing cars privately is also prohibited until further notice. Several other communities have similarly urged citizens to be thrifty with drinking water as the drought and heat persist.