While the restriction measures affect 93 departments, reflections and actions are multiplying to preserve and use the precious resource more effectively.
by
The drought that affects half of Europe “seems to be the worst for five hundred years”, advances Common Center for Research of the European Commission . To confirm this overwhelming observation, we will have to wait until the end of the season, but some rains will probably not be enough to fill the rivers or make their humidity in the soils before fall.
Now, according to these observations made public Tuesday, August 23 by the Brussels organization, France, which has suffered a lot from fires since the beginning of the summer, is among the most affected countries. It received 33 % less precipitation than the average from January to July and the phenomenon concerns the whole metropolitan territory, which is unprecedented.
Water restriction measures currently affect 93 departments, 78 of which are “in crisis”, the highest level on the scale of drought alerts. At this stage, it is forbidden to watering vegetable gardens, public spaces and private golf courses, washing your car, its terrace, filling your swimming pool, feeding mars and fountains, irrigating crops … less to benefit from an exemption by prefectural decision.
From the spring, local elected officials, anticipating the difficulties of summer, had reserved tankers and ordered a number of bottles of mineral water. At present, 117 municipalities – often villages – are deprived of drinking water and “quantities of others” arouse concerns for the coming weeks, said Christophe Béchu, the Minister of Ecological Transition and Territorial cohesion, during a trip to Aude on August 23. Responding to BFM-TV, he highlighted the question of leaks in the networks. The loss rate is indeed 20 % on average in France, in other words 1 liter out of 5 does not reach its goal, or 937 million cubic meters per year.
According to the Observatory of Public Water and Sanitation Services, all local authorities do not have a fine knowledge of their heritage, which can date from the 1950s. Aiming a 100 % yield would nevertheless be illusory in the 895,000 kilometers of drinking water pipes, and the 423,000 kilometers of remediation pipes, scrutinized by floating or flying drones, acoustic detectors and artificial intelligence tools.
Besides, French performances hold comparison with those of neighboring countries. They are variable according to the territories, better in large agglomerations, where they can reach more than 90 %, as in Paris, than in rural areas, which struggle to finance the rehabilitation of their infrastructure. Leak rates are around 50 % in the West Indies, in Reunion, between 50 % and 70 % in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Meuse, the Cantal.
You have 69.71% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.