Brussels remains on drought alert

Brussels remains on drought alert despite forecast showers, as the rain was "not sufficient to normalise the situation", according to the Regional Drought Task Force.

Various stakeholders met on Monday, including those involved in water management (Vivaqua, the Port of Brussels and Brussels Environment) and those responsible for prevention, safety and crisis management (Safe.brussels).

“They decided to maintain level yellow (the vigilance phase) in the Brussels region,” Brussels Environment said in a statement. 

“Level yellow means that the authorities are introducing measures and that it’s important to use tap water sensibly.

"This is a collective responsibility for public authorities, residents, businesses and sports clubs… This week’s rainfall is not sufficient to bring the situation back to normal."

The unit based its decision on various warning indicators, including that the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RMI)’s drought index continues to classify the region as "very dry to extremely dry". 

“The rainfall recorded so far is not sufficient to normalise the situation, nor will the rainfall expected in the course of this week make any significant difference,” the drought unit said. 

“The various periods of heatwaves and drought have caused the soil to dry out considerably.”

The drought has increased the pressure on water supplies for Brussels’ drinking water and the flow rate of the Meuse remains a key concern.

At the same time, the Drought Task Force also expects an increase in drinking water consumption due to the return of holidaymakers and the start of the school year.

It emphasised that Brussels residents must avoid or postpone non-essential water use, which includes, for example, washing cars, filling swimming pools, unnecessary cleaning of paved surfaces (pavements, terraces, etc) and watering lawns.

The unit also noted that there was still a risk of forest fires in Brussels. 

“Field observations show that the current risk of fire in forests and green spaces is very high,” it stated, adding that "the effects of the drought on vegetation are visible", citing examples such as scorched lawns, leaf loss and the death of trees.

Brussels Environment is also concerned about the danger of branches suddenly snapping off from parched trees and strongly advises forest visitors “to be cautious and to stay on the paths”.

The agency reminds the public that lighting fires in woodlands remains prohibited, and that, as always, it is strictly forbidden to throw cigarette ends on the ground. Drought measures along the canal also remain in force.

The task force will meet again next Monday to assess the situation.

The drought is not the capital’s only source of water woes. The Brussels Canal has been in a state of disrepair for the past week, with a greenish tinge caused by green algae, dead fish due to a lack of oxygen and widespread pollution. 

Pieter Elsen, founder of the advocacy group City To Ocean, said it ws not clear why this algae has suddenly become so prevalent, but that it was mainly due to the presence of fertiliser and organic matter in the canal’s sediment.

Elsen said that under normal circumstances, when it rains regularly, “Brussels’ sewers overflow once to three times a month. The sewage then mixes with rainwater, which later overflows into the Senne and the canal.” 

According to Elsen, the last overflow occurred at the end of July, but there was still a lot of organic material present in the sediment.

Elsen therefore believes it is important to “keep as much rainwater as possible out of the sewer system” to prevent the overflows. 

“The overflow of the mixture of rainwater and wastewater carries a lot of organic matter, which allows the algae to reproduce; as a result, the fish are also deprived of oxygen,” Elsen said.

While the organisation is not yet certain whether these overflows are the main source of the green algae, a new campaign called "Disconnect your Roof" aims to divert as much rainwater as possible away from the sewer system. 

“We visit people at home and refurbish cisterns or install WADIs (Water Drainage and Infiltration) in their gardens,” Elsen explained.

“In this way, we aim to divert as much rainwater as possible away from the canal.”

Brussels Environment confirmed the presence of green algae and is sending a team to the site as soon as possible to investigate the situation.