Munich, July 14, 2026 – The City of Munich today issued a general decree regulating the use of drinking water, the extraction of groundwater, and the removal of water from surface waters. This decision comes as water consumption in the Bavarian capital has once again risen sharply, reaching over 360 million liters per day, significantly exceeding the average of 300 million liters.
Mandatory Savings Needed Amidst Strain on Resources
Despite forecasts of thunderstorms and rain, these precipitation events are not expected to be sufficient to alleviate the current water situation. The city has experienced an exceptionally dry winter and spring, leaving Munich’s water supply resources severely strained.
Mayor Dominik Krause stated, “Water consumption has significantly increased again in recent days. After an exceptionally dry winter and spring, the available resources of Munich’s water supply are currently under immense strain. Therefore, in consultation with SWM and RKU, I have decided to implement further, mandatory saving measures. I ask all Munich residents to adhere to the rules so that groundwater levels can recover. Water is our most precious commodity; let us handle it with care.”
Dr. Florian Bieberbach, Chairman of the SWM Executive Board, added, “In addition to the city’s general decree, SWM is issuing a water-saving order. This extends the regulations beyond the city limits to the entire water supply network, including surrounding communities and districts. We thank everyone for already reducing their water usage and ask the public and companies to continue: Avoid unnecessary water consumption entirely and reduce your overall water usage so that we can all get through this tense situation well.”
Overview of the New Regulations
The new decree, effective immediately until August 1, 2026 (unless revoked earlier), includes several key prohibitions:
- Prohibition of filling and operating private pools: This includes private swimming pools, fountains, water play facilities, water containers (e.g., barrels), and similar installations.
- Restricted garden irrigation: Watering, pouring, and sprinkling of domestic and allotment gardens (e.g., woody plants, hedges, perennials, beds, ornamental plants, etc.) is prohibited between 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM, unless for commercial or public use. Drip irrigation, agricultural and forestry areas, and cemeteries are exempt from this time restriction.
- Rasenflächen und sonstige Grünflächen: Watering of lawns and other green areas is prohibited, unless for commercial or public use. Sports fields are specifically exempt from this restriction.
- Vehicle washing restrictions: Washing vehicles outside commercial car washes is prohibited, unless necessary for public safety and order (e.g., emergency vehicles).
- Construction site dust control: Moistening construction roads and sites to reduce dust is prohibited, unless required by official regulations.
- Cleaning of private surfaces: Spraying or watering (e.g., with high-pressure cleaners, brushes) of terraces, walls, streets, courtyards, paths, roofs, and non-commercially used technical facilities by private individuals is prohibited.
Surface Water Extraction and Penalties
The extraction of water from surface waters within the city of Munich for the aforementioned purposes is completely prohibited. Exceptions to this prohibition include common use under Article 18 BayWG (such as drawing water with hand vessels), extraction for watering livestock and for agricultural needs, and extractions where the water is completely returned to the body of water (especially thermal uses).
The City of Munich warns that violations of these regulations can result in fines of up to 50,000 euros, in accordance with the Water Resources Act.
The general decree has been issued by the Lower Water Authority of the City of Munich and published online. An extension of the period is possible in the event of continued drought.
Source: https://stadt.muenchen.de/news/allgemeinverfuegung-zur-wassernutzung.html
