Irrigation ban forces municipalities into difficult choices: no more water for public green spaces |
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Municipalities in the Delfland water authority area stop irrigating public greenery; only heritage trees are exempt
Municipalities within the management area of the Delfland Water Authority have stopped irrigating trees, parks and other public green spaces. Since Wednesday, a complete ban has been in force on the use of surface water. Only heritage trees are still allowed to receive water. Municipalities fear that newly planted trees and other vulnerable vegetation may not survive the prolonged drought.
| Illustrative image generated with AI |
The irrigation ban applies throughout the entire management area of Delfland, including The Hague, Delft, Westland, Midden-Delfland, Vlaardingen, Schiedam and Maassluis. The measure is intended to protect the region's limited freshwater supply. As a result, municipalities are no longer allowed to pump water from canals, ditches and ponds to irrigate public green spaces. Sports fields can also no longer be irrigated using surface water.
Valuable trees exempt
An exception has been made for heritage trees. According to the water authority, this is necessary to prevent irreversible damage to valuable trees. Which trees qualify differs from one municipality to another. Delft, for example, uses a minimum age of 50 years, while other municipalities apply a threshold of 80 or even 100 years.
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Only heritage trees may still be irrigated with surface water
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Drought puts newly planted greenery under pressure
Municipalities expect damage to public green spaces. The Hague can no longer provide additional water to young trees and newly planted vegetation. Other activities requiring large amounts of water have also been adjusted. Delft expects that part of its recent planting may not survive the combination of prolonged drought and the irrigation ban. The municipality does not consider the use of drinking water to be a realistic alternative, as drinking water must also be used sparingly.
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Young trees and newly planted vegetation are particularly at risk because of the irrigation ban
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Retaining water is now the priority
According to the Delfland Water Authority, the restrictions are necessary. Freshwater supplies are declining rapidly, while water is needed to keep dikes stable, protect nature and maintain water quality. The water authority has announced that it will actively enforce the ban. Anyone violating the rules risks receiving a fine.
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Protecting freshwater supplies now takes priority over irrigating public green spaces
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This article was previously published on 6 August 2026 on the Stad + Groen website.
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