BRUSSELS — Hundreds of families in the high-elevation regions of Hageland between Aarschot and Diest have had little or no tap water since Saturday afternoon, it was reported on Monday.

The Aarschot fire brigade has been delivering water by tanker in the suburbs of Aarschot and Tielt-Winge since Sunday afternoon. Residents have been advised to boil the water before drinking it.

In Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, residents can obtain drinking water between 6-9pm at the city depot. In that municipality alone, some 300 residents are said to be without water.

A spokesman for water supply company VMW Vlaams-Brabant said the current high demand for water has not been matched in 15 years. Water towers and reservoirs have been pumped dry, newspaper ‘Het Laatste Nieuws’ reported.

“Without doubt, this is due to the high water use in the horticulture industry because of the persistent dry weather and heat of the past few days,” spokesman Eddy Troostens said.

The VMV blamed fruit growers, such as strawberry farmers, in particular. It also pointed out few problems were reported during the hot weather of August 2003. The horticulture sector uses less water in August.

“At this moment, we can’t do anything more than pump at maximum capacity and request the population reduce water use and to only use it for human consumption,” he said.

Flemish-Brabant governor Lode de Witte also urged the public of Hageland and elsewhere in the province where water problems are being reported to reduce their water use to an absolute minimum. Market gardeners have also been urged to use water sparingly.

The governor is also preparing an emergency ordinance which will ban people from washing their car, watering their house garden or filling swimming pools until there is sufficient water again.

The VNW met with the governor and various mayors to discuss the situation on Monday.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Belgian news