Amid extreme heat, water grows scarce around Berlin

Amid extreme heat and growing water scarcity around Berlin, two beverage companies in the town of Baruth are expanding their production facilities. Baruth, located 60 kilometers south of Berlin, has been bottling mineral water since the 1990s, with Red Bull and Rauch now planning a new canning factory and additional facilities. Despite the town being licensed to extract a fixed amount of groundwater, the vast majority, 92%, is reserved for the companies.

This leaves only 8% for Baruth's 4,300 residents, enough to serve 57,000 people. However, the exact amount the companies consume remains undisclosed, as per their contracts. Hydrogeologist Irina Engelhardt from the Technical University in Berlin criticizes the contracts, stating they are outdated and based on inaccurate information.

She calls for new, independent assessments and clearer communication. Transparency in water usage remains a contentious issue, with residents questioning why the public isn't allowed to know. Germany, including Brandenburg, is experiencing changing water balances due to higher temperatures and increasing evaporation. While the region is still water-rich, the water balance is changing, with many places not replenishing groundwater after the 2018 drought.

Tesla's Gigafactory in Grünheide, a planned copper mine in Spremberg, and the potential for artificial groundwater recharge are all factors contributing to the complex water situation in the region.