Four in five groundwater monitoring sites in Flanders still recorded low to very low water levels at the end of August, the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) said on Thursday, showing that the drought is continuing despite recent rainfall.
Persistent heat meant groundwater reserves in Flanders continued to dry out at the start of August. During the first half of the month, water levels fell further because of the dry weather.
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Rain in the second half of August allowed groundwater levels to recover to where they had been at the end of July. However, the VMM said this was no cause for optimism, as levels were already very low at that point.
The agency added that the improvement was only temporary. As soon as the rain stops, water levels fall quickly again in many places.
Overall, 80% of monitoring stations recorded low to very low levels, 17% showed normal levels and 3% registered high levels.
VMM rain gauges also highlighted the strain on the soil. Rainfall reached just 74% of the amount usually recorded in August.
Regional differences were marked. In the Geluwe area of West Flanders, rainfall reached 110% of the normal level, while in Herentals, near Antwerp, it was only 46%.
An orange drought code has been in force across Flanders since mid-July. This means water abstraction is banned on many non-navigable waterways, while navigation restrictions apply on navigable waterways.
Businesses, local authorities and residents are also being urged to limit non-essential water use as much as possible.
