New water shortages feared in Flanders

21 June 2005

BRUSSELS — Fears grew on Tuesday of renewed water supply problems in the province of Flemish Brabant, with very low water levels reported in the water towers of Jezus-Eik in the Overijse region.

Short-lived water shortages were reported in Meise and Lennik on Monday night, news service Skynet reported. The situation has since returned to normal in those towns.

Those water problems came after reports emerged on Monday that hundreds of families have had little of no water since Saturday afternoon in the high elevation regions in Hageland.

Municipal authorities in the Hageland region between Aarschot and Diest, also in the Brabant region of Flanders, have been distributing water since Monday night.

The regional governor, Lode de Witte, drew up an emergency by-law on Monday banning the washing of cars, watering of gardens and filling of swimming pools.

However, water supply authority VMW said the cooler weather on Tuesday was helping alleviate problems.

The water shortage has been blamed on high demand by the horticultural sector brought on by the continued dry and warm weather.

Subject: Belgian news