The summer really has its nice sides. Especially sun worshippers get their money's worth at the moment. But as is well known, one man's joy is another man's sorrow. And so it looks with the currently very dry weather. Because the drought, which has already lasted for several weeks with very high temperatures in some places, has led to critical low water levels or in some places even to the drying out of the stream beds in numerous Frankfurt streams.
The strong warming of the water bodies and a low water flow are a high stress factor for the ecosystem of the flowing waters. In addition, the now dramatic reduction and constriction of habitat poses a massive threat to plants and animals in streams.
Any additional pressures - especially from water withdrawals - are causing significant ecosystem degradation in many streams in the urban area. Against this background, the Environment Agency asks citizens not to take water from the streams until further notice. Due to the current tense situation, the Lower Water and Soil Protection Authority in the Environment Agency takes a critical view of water extraction from streams. Additional encroachment by private abstractions should therefore be avoided.
Water law does grant citizens permission-free water abstraction from flowing waters by means of scooping with hand vessels with the so-called owner/riparian and public use. However, these rights are subject to the proviso that no significant reduction in water flow or impairment of the water bodies is to be expected. For abstraction by means of pumps, a permit must in any case be applied for from the competent water authority
