Don't fill your pool with the Drentsche Aa

"Tap water is always there. People forget about it, but it's such a luxury product." - Tabitha Petter

It is so far the driest year ever recorded. Nature is suffering so much from this drought that from 29 May 2020 there is a ban on abstracting water in the Drentsche Aa. This means that private individuals and companies are no longer allowed to pump the water. If this measure had not been taken, nature would probably not have been able to recover. The ban does not apply to Waterbedrijf Groningen. They are allowed to pump water from the Drentsche Aa even in this drought. I contacted them and Tabitha Petter spoke to me.

By Sam Veeman

Precipitation deficit
First, a little background. That there is a shortage of water now is because there has been an increasing rainfall deficit over the years. This does not mean that it has been raining less. The precipitation deficit is the difference between the evaporation of water and the precipitation of water. Over half a century, the evaporation of water slowly increased as it got warmer and warmer in the Netherlands. The amount of precipitation hardly changed. As a result, the ground became drier and drier. Currently, according to KNMI, the precipitation deficit is over 150 mm. This is the largest deficit ever recorded in the month of May. This obviously has a lot of impact on the Netherlands' vegetation. If the drought continues, the landscape of the Netherlands will start to change a lot. Some trees and plants will then no longer be able to survive here. How we deal with these changes in the Netherlands is determined by the water boards.

Water boards
The Netherlands has twenty-one water boards. Each water board makes decisions about the water in an area of the Netherlands. The ban on extracting water from the Drentsche Aa was imposed by water board Hunze and Aa's. According to their website, they made this decision based on two reasons.

Firstly, in this way they want to prevent irreparable damage to aquatic life. When there is less water in the Drentsche Aa, this water warms up faster. This greatly affects fish and other animals in and around the water.

In addition, they do not want to jeopardise the availability of water for Waterbedrijf Groningen. Waterbedrijf Groningen uses water from the Drentsche Aa to supply drinking water to the city and province of Groningen.

The exception: water company Groningen
Tabitha Petter explains clearly in a telephone interview how the situation is now. Currently, Water Company Groningen can just about supply the province and city with all the water it consumes. As she herself says, "we are at our max". There is no slack. If the drought continues and the water company is not allowed to draw water from the Drentsche Aa either, more use will have to be made of groundwater, but Tabitha explains that this involves more than just some drilling in the ground. Using groundwater also affects nature. Using water from the Drentsche Aa is necessary at the moment.

Alternative sources
Asked if Water Company Groningen is worried about this situation, Tabitha replied, "We do take it very seriously. If we do nothing, we have to worry". The fact that Waterbedrijf Groningen is still using this vulnerable water source now does not mean it is not looking further into solutions. However, Tabitha explains that it takes time to find alternatives. Finding new water sources must be done in consultation with the province. In the meantime, the water company is, however, consulting with the water board and nature organisations on ways in which nature could better retain the water.

Water consumption in industry
Until a new source is found to draw water from, it is essential that at least no more water is used than Water Company Groningen can currently supply. The company is actively working on this itself by developing a new way to track leaks in water pipes. When leaks can be repaired faster, less water is wasted.

Companies that want to establish themselves in Groningen should also take a critical look at their own water consumption. If a company needs a lot of water, Waterbedrijf Groningen will discuss sustainable solutions, because tap water is precious, so if it is not needed, you should not use it.

Water consumption by the Groningers
"Tap water is always there. People forget about it, but it's such a luxury product." At DWARS, being frugal with water is a theme that recurs regularly, but Tabitha's words suddenly fall into a concrete context. On hot days, the water company recommends using as little water as possible. On those days, the water in the wells evaporates extra hard and nature is under tremendous pressure. Those are also the days when pools are filled and lawns are watered. The days when Waterbedrijf Groningen asks users to use a little less water are the days when most water is consumed.

Over the next two weeks, the precipitation deficit is likely to keep rising. There are plenty of tips on the internet on how to save tap water. In Groningen, for instance, you can get a discount on the purchase of a rain barrel through the municipality.

Of course, you should keep drinking enough water. Even washing your hands does not have much impact on overall water consumption and is important in this day and age. You especially shouldn't be shy about that. But if the weather is warm and you would like to fill a swimming pool in your garden, think about the fish in the Drentsche Aa first. Perhaps they need the water more after all.