West Flanders (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – West Flanders expands water pumping ban to Waerevaart (Gistel) and entire Heulebeek (Wevelgem, Kortrijk, Kurne) as flow stays below safe levels since Aug 17, 2025, affecting farmers, residents, and ships.
As VRT News reported, the drought in West Flanders is worsening, and authorities have announced an expansion of the temporary water pumping ban. After reviewing the current water levels, officials decided to extend the restrictions to new areas that are now at critical risk.
Authorities in West Flanders have extended the water extraction ban to the Waerevaart river basin in Gistel and the Heulebeek stream, stretching from Wevelgem to Kortrijk and Kurne. Officials warned that river flows have remained critically low since Sunday, August 17, 2025, and short-term forecasts offer no relief. They stressed that water security is under threat and local ecosystems are experiencing significant stress.
Why are water extraction bans and lock rules expanded in West Flanders?
Currently, nearly all streams (except where they are used for navigation) in West Flanders are banned from the extraction of water. Authorities pointed out that this total ban has to do with protecting rivers, maintaining aquatic life, and keeping the overall supply of essential water during the dry season. Farmers addition to businesses and residents surrounding the behdes, are asked to comply with the legislation.
West Flanders tightens water conservation rules, now targeting rivers still open to navigation. The government wants to guarantee that, even during a drought, there will be adequate water for shipping traffic to proceed safely. The locks on the rivers Leie and Scheldt can no longer be operated empty, and there is no need to lose additional water, as the levels of these rivers are extremely low.
At the locks in Sint-Baafs-Vijve, Menen, and Harelbeke, vessels must always be moored in both directions for the locks to work. This change can increase waiting times for ships to pass through by up to 2 hours.
Pleasure boats are also affected. At the Dampoort lock, waiting time has risen from 2 to 3 hours if boats are not travelling in a group. Authorities stressed that these rules are essential to protect water levels and ensure both commercial and recreational traffic can continue safely during the prolonged dry period.
Similar water management measures have been implemented in Belgium during previous droughts. In the summer of 2019, authorities in Flanders introduced temporary water extraction bans and modified lock operations on rivers such as the Leie and Scheldt to conserve water and protect ecosystems. During that period, restrictions also applied to non-navigable streams, and waiting times at locks increased for both commercial and recreational vessels.
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