Following the same phenomenon of last year, the dry and hot summer has had its impact on the rest of the year. Rainfall in spring and summer has become scarce, consequently causing groundwater levels to drop far too low.
On average, Grand Duchy inhabitants consume 125 litres of water a day.
Looking at the situation from the autumn, residents of Luxembourg would tend to have the impression that there has been barely a day without rain, with more forecast for Christmas.
However, according to the director of the Water Management Agency, this has been a good development in light of the concerns around groundwater levels. Jean-Paul Lickes explained that the amount of rainfall helps saturate the dry ground. Groundwater levels only tend to be recharged, Lickes said, by December.
However, Luxembourg's groundwater levels remain far too low, in part as a knock-on effect of the incredibly mild winter of 2016/2017. The country is still feeling the effects of this years later, as the lack of rainfall combined with dry summers has exacerbated the issue.
In terms of looking ahead, the Water Management Agency is hoping to emphasise prevention in the event of another mild winter. The plan is to bring down the amount of water consumed by inhabitants. To get to this point, the authorities are considering using water differently in constructing new builds, but ultimately the public must also adapt their water consumption depending on the urgency of the situation.
