The Public Service of Wallonia (SPW) on Friday reported that the groundwater levels in Belgium's southern region have remained high. In Flanders, similar trends were noted.
Since October last year, seldom have there been more than ten consecutive dry days. Monthly rainfall has consistently exceeded the average since October 2023. Significant rain continued through winter and well into spring. As is usual for the season, springtime saw a dip in water levels due to plant uptake, but they remained within normal range.
Despite dropping levels during vegetation’s peak growth season, the water levels have caused little concern. As a result, the relevant services are considering shifting to winter monitoring procedures soon.
In Flanders, heavy rainfall during the first half of August resulted in normal, high, even exceptionally high groundwater levels for the time of year, according to a recent report by the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM). Over nine in ten monitoring sites reported these conditions.
Groundwater levels in Flanders generally remain higher than normal, though not as noticeably as in recent months. The last two-week average flow rates stay unchanged or returned to a more routine state.
Local rainfall totals displayed significant discrepancies. In Uccle, for instance, the recorded rainfall was 153 mm, substantially more than the standard 87 mm. This is notably higher than in the rest of Flanders where areas such as West Flanders, East Flanders, and Limbourg received less rainfall than usual.
