A Thirsty Summer: Budapest’s Water Consumption Reaches New Heights in 2024

As the scorching summer of 2024 came to a sudden end, it’s time to take a closer look at how much water the bustling city of Budapest consumed during these hot months. Brace yourselves, because the numbers are quite astonishing!

From June to August, the Hungarian capital gulped down a whopping 46.7 billion liters of water. That’s right, billion with a “B”! This impressive figure surpasses last year’s 44.1 billion liters, proving that the summer of 2024 was not only hotter but also thirstier.

Throughout the summer, we kept you updated on the city’s weekly water consumption, often in relation to the average daily temperature. And boy, did those temperatures soar! According to HungaroMet, this was the hottest summer since 1901, with temperatures in Budapest and its surroundings consistently hovering around 40°C (104°F) for weeks on end. It’s no wonder that water consumption reached new heights!

But there were also some intriguing anomalies. For instance, during the nail-biting moments of the Hungary-Scotland football match, water consumption noticeably decreased. It seems that Budapestians were too engrossed in the game to even take a sip!

The peak of water consumption occurred on August 14th, when the city downed a staggering 574 million liters in a single day. In contrast, on the first day of summer, June 1st, “only” 409 million liters were needed to quench the city’s thirst.

As autumn arrives and we swap our shorts for long pants and cardigans, the Budapest Waterworks faces a new challenge: preparing for potential flooding due to significant rainfall in the Danube catchment area. Just like in June, the necessary precautions will be taken in September to ensure an uninterrupted water supply throughout the service area.

Even in early September, Budapest experienced an unusually high water consumption of 554 million liters on Wednesday, September 4th, due to the prolonged heatwave. It’s quite rare to have a Level II heat alert in effect at this time of the year. Thankfully, the alert ended yesterday, and we sincerely hope that we’ve seen the last of the extreme heat for 2024.

As the seasons change, let’s not forget the importance of staying hydrated with the right quantity and quality of fluids. Budapest’s water consumption may have reached new heights this summer, but with the efforts of the Budapest Waterworks, the city’s taps will continue to provide the refreshing water we all need, come rain or shine.