Households should stop watering lawns and filling swimming pools to help conserve water Photo: Shutterstock

Households should stop watering lawns and filling swimming pools to help conserve water Photo: Shutterstock

The government is urging Luxembourg residents to conserve water and reduce activities, such as car washing, pressure cleaning or watering lawns as a heat wave sweeps across Europe.

Temperatures in the grand duchy are expected to reach up to , although the weather is set to cool down to the high and mid-20°Cs next week. During hotter weather, people use more water, the government said in a press release, urging the public to conserve the precious resource.

As part of an awareness campaign, it is urging households to refrain from filling up private pools, ponds or using water fountains that don’t run on a closed circuit. People shouldn’t water lawns or use water to clean cars, pavements or other outside surfaces. Tapping water from rivers and lakes is illegal.

Already in March, the water management authority had and that groundwater resources aren’t recharging enough. At the same time, water reserves for 65,000 people are .

To combat the heat wave, people should stay hydrated, avoid the outdoors during peak hours or seek shade, as well as keeping shutters closed at home to keep the inside cool.

The government also urged people who keep animals to ensure they have sufficient shade and water, and not to leave pets alone in parked cars. The warning to conserve water issued on Thursday does not yet constitute a ban on using water for these activities. Under an alert system, the government can restrict the use of water in case of possible shortages.