No meltwater

Lake Nussensee is almost completely dry

When hunger stones are exposed, there is a risk of drought - hence the name(Bild: INES SCHILLER)

The otherwise picturesque forest lake, which also serves as a drinking water supply, has shrunk to a fraction of its original size. The "Krone" knows the reason for this and whether Bad Ischl residents need to worry about their drinking water. 

The effects of the lack of precipitation are currently very visible in Bad Ischl: Lake Nussensee, which is also important for the town's water supply, is at an all-time low. The water is so low that the Hungerstein, a rock that was last seen in 1995, is now dry and the lake has shrunk considerably, confirmed Mayor Ines Schiller (SPÖ) in a report by ORF Oberösterreich.

Supply still stable
The situation is "due to climate change", said Schiller. Lake Nussensee is getting a lot of water due to the snow and the melting snow, but "it's going away this year". There is still no problem with the water supply, but: "if there is no rain for a long time, that's another matter," emphasized the mayor.

Provision for the future
Test drillings have been carried out for two weeks in order to prepare for the future and develop new water reservoirs. An additional plot of land was also purchased last year for this purpose.