Despite the storms of late October, eleven Walloon municipalities still have water restrictions
Rainfall over the past three months is back close to normal, but rivers, reservoirs and groundwater in the south are recovering slowly.
The wet second half of October has pushed back the drought in Belgium considerably but has not ended it, RTBF reports. After rain on 13 and 18 October, storms Austen and Boelo brought 50 to 80 litres per square metre to the Ardennes between 22 and 25 October. According to maps from the Royal Meteorological Institute dated 6 November, rainfall over the past three months is back to about 82 percent of normal nationwide, compared with 40 to 50 percent at the end of August and in early October. A deficit remains mainly in the province of Luxembourg.
The Walloon drought unit found on 5 November that watercourses there are still very low. Navigable rivers are close to their lowest levels for the time of year and smaller streams are at levels comparable to July. Reservoirs are slightly below average; the Plate Taille at the Eau d'Heure lakes is close to the situation in the dry year of 2022. Groundwater is recovering only weakly.
Eleven Walloon municipalities are therefore keeping restrictions on water use, down from seventeen in early October, including Bouillon, Saint-Hubert, Libin and Libramont, where tankers handle part of the supply. Tap water remains safe to drink.
Brussels is in better shape. After two months on code yellow, Brussels Environment moved the region back to code green on Thursday, Bruzz reported. Vivaqua is supplying normally but continues to monitor the level of the Meuse, from which its production centre at Tailfer draws water. Groundwater levels there are still falling but are no longer critical.