PARIS — France has imposed water-use restrictions across nearly 70% of its territory as an intense drought worsens following a prolonged period of heat and unusually low rainfall, the government said on Monday.
The French environment ministry said that as of Aug. 9, 99 of metropolitan France’s 101 departments were at least under a drought vigilance level, while 67 departments had reached the highest “crisis” level and 21 were under reinforced alert. Nearly 70% of the country’s territory was subject to restrictions on water use.
Under the crisis level, authorities give priority to essential uses including drinking water, health and civil protection, while non-priority withdrawals are heavily restricted or prohibited. Lower alert levels can limit activities including watering gardens and public green spaces, filling swimming pools, washing cars and irrigating crops.
The government said the restrictions reflected an “particularly intense” drought and growing pressure on water resources. Ecology Minister Monique Barbut was due to convene a meeting of the national hydrological monitoring committee on Wednesday to review groundwater, rivers, soil moisture and the effects of the drought on ecosystems and water users.
The Bureau of Geological and Mining Research, known by its French acronym BRGM, said on Monday that about two-thirds of groundwater aquifers supplying much of France’s drinking water were below normal levels. It attributed the decline to the lack of effective rainfall in July and increased demand for water, particularly from agriculture and tourism.
Météo-France said July was the hottest month ever recorded nationally and the third-driest July in terms of rainfall, with precipitation nearly 70% below the national average. The conditions have followed repeated heatwaves since early summer.
The worsening drought has also begun to affect drinking-water supplies in some areas. Barbut said on July 27 that supplies were under strain in several locations and that more than 30,000 people were already experiencing interruptions to tap-water service, with some residents receiving water by tanker or in bottles.
France’s environment ministry said Wednesday’s meeting would assess the latest hydrological data and consider measures to strengthen drought preparedness and resilience. The government was scheduled to provide an updated assessment following the meeting.
