Soaring temperatures across the Netherlands have resulted in country-wide droughts. In the province of Groningen, local water services are feeling the full brunt of the dry conditions as extraction operations deal with low levels of rainfall amidst blistering heat.
“It will be very tight in the near future. That is now even more visible,” said a spokesperson from the Groningen Water Services (Groningen Waterbedrijf) in conversation with RTV Noord. As of the writing of article, on the 10th of August, the situation has significantly deteriorated.
Much of the northern provinces’ drinking water extraction operations rely on the Drentsche Aa, a river running between Groningen and Drenthe. The river has suffered greatly due to the drought, with water levels falling significantly.
The cutoff, according to the Groningen Water services was a flow of one million liters per hour through the river. As of now, only 850,000 liters per hour have been measured per hour; some 150,000 liters short of the minimum cut off.
Fortunately, the Groningen Water Services have another method of collecting drinking water: groundwater. With the Drentsche Aa under strain, more groundwater is being extracted as a means to compensate for the difference.
While the Groningen Water Services have not issued any official measures in response to the drought, they have requested that residents of the province attempt to save as much water as possible on a daily basis, given that the extreme temperatures are expected to continue for some time.
Interested in learning more about how you can help save water, and relieve some pressure from the struggling local water services? The Groningen Waterbedrijf’s official website has some useful pointers on how some subtle changes in your daily water consumption could potentially make a big difference amidst the ongoing drought.
