Talks are being held in The Hague on Thursday on whether extra measures are needed to conserve drinking water and protect rivers and canals during the ongoing drought. Water boards, providers of drinking water and the highways agency Rijkswaterstaat are among the agencies attending the discussions at the infrastructure ministry, AD.nl reported. A spokesman for infrastructure minister Vincent Karremans would not be drawn on the possible outcomes of the meeting, but water boards could agree to bring in further restrictions on river traffic or close sluices. “By limiting sluice openings we can retain as much fresh water a possible, but these measures have an impact on river traffic and the economy,” the spokesman explained. The Scheldestromen water board in Zeeland issued a ban on Thursday on drawing surface water from ditches, creeks and other waterways to prevent water levels dropping further.