The Netherlands is officially in a water shortage

The Dutch infrastructure ministry has moved up its assessment of the country’s water supply to “actual water shortage” due to the high temperatures and lack of rain.

“Due to persistent drought, less water is entering our country via rain and rivers, while the demand for water is rising,” the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management said in a statement on Thursday.

Since early July, there has been a Level 1 or “impending water shortage” but now the level has been upgraded to a Level 2 or “actual water shortage.”

The water authorities say that the drinking water supply is not affected and regional water boards are working together to distribute water across the country.

Shipping has been impacted with longer waiting times at locks. The ministry has also seen an increase in blue-green algae and in fish mortality.

In its drought monitor, the ministry called for “more far-reaching measures” to be taken to ensure the shortage doesn’t reach a critical level.

The authorities have already placed limits on the extraction of ground water and on pumping water from ditches and streams. Several locks have been closed to prevent salt water from entering.

Limburg, where the shortage is the most severe, will implement increased restrictions from Friday. Football fields can no longer be watered and some farmers will face limits on their usage as well.

The last time the Netherlands hit a Level 2 water shortage was in 2022. If the drought continues, the assessment could be elevated to a Level 3, which is considered a national crisis. That last happened in 2003.