The state of the water compartment was similarly disastrous. In particular, the combination of naturally low precipitation rates, very high water consumption and usage (up to 4 times as neighboring countries; combined with insufficient to nonexistent wastewater treatment had worsened the situation in aquatic systems. In 1989, almost 50% of all categorized waterways in the GDR were biologically desolated or dead due to pollution. Almost a quarter of all standing waters were unsuited for drinking water generation and 54% were too polluted for profitable drinking water generation. One third of all lakes was incapable of self-cleaning, and this ability was hampered in another third. Only 1% of lakes was biologically intact .