Lignite mining leaves Lusatia with massive water deficit, report says

Lignite mining in Saxony's Lusatia region has created a massive water deficit, with the potential to have supplied the region's drinking water needs for 40 years. The Left Party in the state parliament highlighted this issue, citing figures that show 5.7 billion cubic meters of water are required to refill mining lakes and groundwater.

"So much was and continues to be pumped out for an energetically inefficient and climate-damaging energy source," criticized Left Party representative Stefan Hartmann. He questioned how this deficit would be resolved, noting that studies and model calculations are ongoing. The water shortage is already palpable and will persist for decades.

Hartmann stressed that the remaining open-pit mines, Nochten and Reichwalde, should be kept as small as possible to minimize evaporation. He also called for prioritizing water retention across the landscape through measures such as sealing industrial wastelands, reforestation, forest protection, and restoring moors and floodplains. The Ministry of Environment stated that approximately 9,000 hectares of open water surface will exist in the Saxon part of the Lusatian Lake District after the remediation of post-mining areas.

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So much was and continues to be pumped out for an energetically inefficient and climate-damaging energy source.