The drought is getting worse, but according to the OVF, water needs still be met

The stored water resources can help Hungary through the drought. (Photo: Pixabay)

The announcement states: the water level of the rivers in Hungary is still very low, and a stagnant or slowly decreasing water situation can be expected in the next two or three days. The drought situation will worsen in the coming days as a result of dry, warm weather, and an increase in areas characterized by extreme drought is expected.
Nationally, ten out of the twelve water directorates have preparedness to protect themselves against water shortages: in seven water shortage management districts it is first-degree, in five it is second-degree and in 23 it is third-degree. The water needs can be met from the amount of water previously withheld and stored – they wrote. In the Hungarian watershed of the Tisza, in four of the first seven months of the year (February, April, June and July), less water left the surface than arrived. The excess water is “reserved”, seeps in (groundwater), is led to agricultural land through irrigation canals, and part of it evaporates – explained in the announcement. In the following, they write: despite the enormous rainfall deficit of about 50 percent compared to the average, thanks to the retained water, they are able to continue their conscious water management and water retention near Szolnok on the Tisza. The most important goal of this is still to ensure the supply of drinking water from the Kisköre reservoir (Tisza lake) to Szolnok and the satisfaction of agricultural water needs. As a result of the irrigation schedules, there was no need for water restrictions anywhere – they recorded.

The average water level of Lake Balaton on Friday is 80 centimeters

In the next week, the lake’s water level will continue to slowly decrease. Based on the latest August forecasts, the average water level of the lake is expected to be between 70 and 75 centimeters by the end of the holiday season (September 1). Lake Balaton is inspected once a week. No surface algal blooms were detected during sampling, and no public reports were received, the document reads.

The water level of Lake Velence on Friday morning is 61 centimeters

With the low water level of Lake Venice, the oxygen supply is critical. The oxygen supply is not threatened by external organic matter loading or the amount of overgrowing algae, but as a precaution, the water experts have installed aerating and water-circulating devices at several points of the lake, and they are operated every day during the critical period from 4-5 a.m. to 10 a.m., they wrote.

The Danube must be pumped

On the Danube below Budapest, at the Kvassay sluice, due to the river’s receding water level, the possibility of gravity water replenishment has once again ceased, water is lifted into the Ráckevei-Danube with pumps. At the beginning of the week, the Budapest Water Directorate received a report of fish kills. The specialists determined the extent of the oxygen-deficient water space and started aeration in these areas. According to the announcement, the protection was successful because the initial fish die-off was not followed by further ones.

MTI