Overview
- In late June the heatwave drove Munich’s daily water use from a normal 300–350 million liters to above 400 million liters, forcing Stadtwerke München to call for immediate savings.
- City authorities have set up a taskforce and begun notfallmaßnahmen that include switching off ten large ornamental fountains, cutting runtimes at 56 others, and reducing municipal watering and nonessential uses.
- Regional suppliers reported parallel strain: Hessenwasser logged record daily deliveries in the Rhein‑Main area and Offenbach briefly declared a water emergency before buying extra supplies to refill tanks.
- Utilities say the pressure comes from two causes: exceptional discretionary demand for gardens, pools and car washes and low spring recharge that has left extraction and peak‑well capacity nearly exhausted.
- Officials stress drinking water is still secured for now but warn further steps—pressure reductions, targeted restrictions or wider transfers between networks—may follow if consumption does not fall.