Glasshouses feel cost of drought as sprinkler ban imposed

Glasshouse operators in the Westland region could lose tens of millions of euros after a ban on sprinklers comes into force on Wednesday.

The glasshouse industry has not been exempted from the ban, which has been imposed by the Delfland water authority as an anti-drought measure.

All sluice gates in the region have been closed to protect drinking water from being contaminated by saltwater from the sea. Inspectors will check if companies are complying with the ban on using water for sprinkling.

“These measures are urgently needed to prevent irreversible damage happening,” a spokesman for the water board told Omroep West. “The glasshouse owners have been given until midnight [on Tuesday] to fill their reservoirs.”

Glastuinbouw Nederland, which represents the industry, said a two to three-week ban would cost companies around €150 million.

It has asked the water board if companies can spray their crops with purified waste water or seawater. “Almost any water is better than no water,” a spokesman said.

A ban on drawing water is also in force in parts of the Brabantse Delta region, around Breda. The ban, which initially covered the hours from 9am to 9pm, was extended last week to 24 hours and include fruit growers, who were previously exempt.

On the island of Terschelling, off the coast of Friesland, sheep have been banned from grazing and inspections of dykes have been stepped up amid concerns that the drought is causing cracks to appear.