Drought: Prefects called to make water restrictions “now”

The Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, asked the prefects on Monday to anticipate any water shortage situations.

MO12345LEMONDE with AFP

Limit water consumption, before spring. The Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, called on Monday, February 27, the prefects coordinators of the basin to take water restrictions “now” to anticipate possible crisis situations during the summer.

In a context of unprecedented winter drought in France, the Minister invited these senior officials, who animate the state policy in terms of water management, to “not have a hand that trembles to take Arrested “, saying that is” alarmed “by the water deficit in the soils, in an interview with the France-Presse agency (AFP). Last summer, “we had up to 700 municipalities which were affected by drinking water problems. If we do not take upstream measures, we take the risk of having an even higher figure been next and in larger territories “with greater agglomerations concerned, he warned.

France has undergone unprecedented drought for several weeks which follows a year 2022 already particularly poor in rains. Over the past eighteen months, fifteen have been in deficit.

Between January 21 and February 21, the metropolis has not experienced real rain – the accumulation of aggregate precipitation being daily less than 1 mm, for 32 days, the longest period “since the start of the measurements In 1959, “said Météo-France on Wednesday. “I have no difficulty explaining to the prefects that you have to be alarmed,” said Béchu to AFP. 2> Four departments in reinforced alert

In three regions, “Occitanie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and South region”, said the minister, “the soil humidity level corresponds to that observed normally at the end of May”. All the French departments are below the normal moisture of the soil, added Mr. Béchu. He therefore asked the prefects to bring together the departmental water resources committees by the end of March to make restrictions where it is necessary. He also wanted to have a “live observatory of the municipalities which are deprived for all or part of drinking water”.

Christophe Béchu also returned to the snowfall deficit which should result in “a deficit of water in our valleys at the time of snowfall”. From the “second half of the month of April, the falling water no longer recharges the tablecloths,” he said.

At present, four departments are already on a reinforced alert: Ain, Isère, Bouches-du-Rhône and the Pyrénées-Orientales. A figure that will inevitably increase, warned Christophe Béchu.

/Media reports cited above.