We Can't Water Everything

With another heatwave forecast for this week, residents have once again been urged to conserve water by avoiding activities such as watering lawns or washing their cars. Yet municipal workers can still be seen watering flowers and young trees across the capital. While the city's parks require maintenance, efforts are also being made to keep water use to a minimum.[1]

"We can't water everything", Yann Thill, head of the City of Luxembourg's Parks Department, explains. However, flower beds and newly planted trees still need regular watering. If they were left to wither during the heatwave, they would have to be replaced afterwards, which, according to Thill, would make little sense. One exception is the rose garden in the city's municipal park, near the Princess Amelie monument, where drinking water is still used for irrigation. Thill stresses, however, that this should remain an exception.[1]

Across the city's neighbourhoods, efforts are under way to create systems that collect rainwater throughout the year for future use. With heatwaves becoming more frequent, the city is also reducing water use wherever possible. Large green spaces such as Merl Park and the Kinnekswiss at the Edouard Andre Municipal Park have not been watered and are now noticeably dry. Some visitors appear unfazed by the brown grass, saying that large trees and plenty of shade are far more important than perfectly green lawns during hot weather. Then again for others, like an English tourist who spoke to RTL, flowers are an essential part of any park.[1]

Unlike some other European cities, Luxembourg City has no plans to switch off its fountains during the heatwave, Thill said. Around the city, many people can be seen taking photos or cooling off near the water. The water features on Place Guillaume II, for example, help lower temperatures across the open space, according to Thill. Even traditional fountains can help cool their immediate surroundings.[1]

Looking ahead, the Parks Department plans to introduce new irrigation technologies and continue adapting the city's parks to a warmer climate. This includes planting more drought-resistant trees and perennials, a challenge that now falls to the department's 240 staff responsible for maintaining parks across the capital.[1]

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