The Vallei and Veluwe water board is restricting groundwater use in the area in an unprecedented effort to protect nature and preserve water quality during the drought.

Large urban centres in the area include Amersfoort, Apeldoorn. Ede and Veenendaal.

Groundwater use is banned between 7am and 10pm. Pumping up water in areas within 200 metres from streams and the area around the Valleikanaal between Rhenen and Amersfoort is also banned.

Farmers will be harder hit by the measures than households and some businesses who have been banned from using groundwater and surface water to maintain gardens, golf courses and sports fields.

The Veluwe is one of the main storage areas for fresh water in the Netherlands, but ‘groundwater levels are falling rapidly’, water board official Henk Veldhuizen told broadcaster NOS.

‘The measure is needed to prevent irreversible damage to nature and maintain a proportionate amount of groundwater,’ he said.

Twente and Salland were faced with a groundwater use restrictions earlier this month.

No rain of any significance is expected in the next fortnight although temperatures will go down after Thursday when temperatures topped 30 degrees in some places.