Press releases

In light of the ongoing drought and the increasingly critical situation in Aachen’s waterways, the lower water authority has prohibited the withdrawal of water from the Inde, Iterbach, Haarbach (upstream of Herrenbergstraße), Senserbach, and Wurm streams. The ban takes effect tomorrow, Friday, June 26, and applies to the extraction of water using mechanical or electric pumps and/or suction devices or mobile containers. Drawing water with hand-held containers or directly watering livestock remains permitted.

Why Water Withdrawal Is Being Restricted
: Water scarcity threatens animal and plant species. However, the self-purification capacity of streams also suffers as a result of water scarcity. Water withdrawals exacerbate the situation and can cause water bodies to dry up in some sections or entirely. Most small streams in the headwaters have already dried up. The use of technical equipment for water extraction often leads to excessive withdrawals, which severely disrupt the ecological functions of the water bodies. The priority now is to prevent the streams in Aachen that still carry water—particularly the upper reaches of the Haarbach, the Inde, the Iterbach, the Senserbach, and the Wurm—from drying up. With due regard for the water balance, it is therefore essential to use water sparingly and to ensure that this practice is maintained.

Violations of the ban on removal may be punishable by a fine of up to 50,000 euros. The order is valid through Saturday, October 31, 2026. However, it may be amended if necessary.

Even in the case of short-term inflows caused by heavy rain and thunderstorm cells, the all-clear cannot be given. Short, intense rain events do not lead to a sustained rise in water levels in the streams.