Dutch government holds emergency drought meeting as locks close and irrigation bans expand
The Dutch government and water boards are holding an emergency meeting on Thursday to address the severe drought and falling water levels affecting the country. The meeting involves the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, water boards, drinking water companies, and Rijkswaterstaat.
Locks are being used less frequently, shipping routes are being restricted, and farmers in more areas are being banned from irrigating their crops using surface water. Measures already in place include the indefinite closure of the locks near Eefde, blocking shipping traffic on the Twente Canal, and the closure of the port in Deventer from Saturday. Regional bans on extracting surface water for irrigation have also been implemented, with Zeeland imposing such a ban for the first time ever.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management stated that the low river levels are historically low, even lower than in the record year of 1976. The Netherlands is currently on "alarm phase two," indicating an actual water shortage. Minister Vincent Karremans of Infrastructure and Water Management would take over control of crisis meetings in the next phase, phase three.
In Hungary, the water level of the Danube River has continued to decrease, with the current water level at Paks measured at -121 cm. This has led to a reduction in the performance of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant's second block by 50% starting from 7:00 AM on July 30, 2026. The power output of the first block was reduced by 245 MW on Monday, and the third block was shut down on Tuesday evening. The low water levels affect the cooling system of the nuclear power plant, which uses water from the Danube.
The environmental regulations state that the temperature of the receiving water at the point of discharge of cooling water, 500 meters from the mouth of the warm water channel on the Danube, must not exceed 30 degrees Celsius. In exceptional cases, with the approval of the minister responsible for energy policy, this limit can be exceeded up to 31.5 degrees Celsius for security of supply reasons.
According to István Kapitány, the minister of economic and energy affairs, the reduction in the performance of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant is part of a carefully prepared professional plan. The current water level at Paks is -121 cm, and the power output of the second block was reduced by 50% starting from 7:00 AM on July 30, 2026.
In Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that many private water supplies are not being monitored, posing a risk to public health. The EPA's 2025 report on drinking water quality in private water supplies highlights that around 370 private group schemes supply drinking water to over 194,000 people in rural communities across Ireland. However, many small private supplies are not registered and not monitored by local authorities, creating a risk to public health.
Noel Byrne, EPA programme manager, stated that "many small private supplies are not registered and not monitored by local authorities," which creates a "risk to public health." The EPA said there is an "urgent need for mandatory registration for businesses to supply water to consumers from a well."
In Romania, the low water levels of the Danube have led to the shutdown of both units at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, removing approximately 1,400 MW of continuous and predictable production capacity from the system. This has increased the country's dependence on imports from neighbors who are also facing drought and reduced hydroelectric and nuclear production.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management stated that the government aims to discuss further measures to manage the water shortage, including the possibility of implementing one-way traffic on rivers to prevent ships from running aground when passing each other. The spokesperson emphasized that there is still enough drinking water, but the situation is serious and requires careful management to prevent irreparable damage.
The Ministry spokesperson told AD that the Twente Canal is no longer accessible from the IJssel, which is a major drain. On other routes, locks are being used less frequently to retain as much fresh water as possible.
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