Germany is facing a potential drinking water shortage, a federal office has warned. The office is already taking precautions by investing millions of euros in an emergency water supply. 

Drinking water scarcity a risk across Germany

Only last August, places in Germany like Simmern-Rheinböllen, Nieder-Beerbach and Merenberg hit the headlines, after drinking water became so scarce that local authorities had to issue strict water saving guidelines. Since 2018, it has rained far too little in Germany, and the persistent periods of drought are having far-reaching consequences. 

According to the President of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (BBK), Armin Schuster, such problems could foreseeably increase in future. With the consequences of climate change becoming readily apparent in Germany, he warned of future shortage of water. 

“There are already a number of communities that are confronted with the problem of drinking water scarcity,” Schuster told the RND. He referred to shrinking groundwater levels and “competition with agriculture.”

BKK investing in emergency water supply

“We fear the problem will worsen,” he said. In order to take precautions, the BKK is investing almost 60 million euros in a programme for the renovation of emergency drinking water wells, and emergency power supplies for water companies. 

At the same time, the BKK is appealing to the people of Germany to take responsibility for themselves. “I don’t want to sound the alarm, it’s still too early for that,” he said. “But it is already advisable that the population adopts a resource-conserving, sustainable use of water, and behaves more responsibly in extreme weather.”