The level of groundwater in France is significantly lower than last year. They are even judged worrying over almost half the country. This is the observation drawn up by the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM) in its latest bulletin published on 15 September.
This is a new consequence of the episode of historic drought that France experienced this summer 2022. The level of groundwater is particularly low throughout the country, with the exception of the Southwest. Their decline continued in August, even if the restrictive measures put in place almost everywhere in July – the driest month ever recorded in France – contributed to slowing down this decline but not enough to stop it.
“Drying up”
For the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM), the current state of filling of the aquifers is even considered ” worrying » over almost half of the national territory, even worrying in the South-East of the country, on an axis which goes from the south of the Alps to the Côte d’Azur.
Worse, underline the experts, in the Var and the Vaucluse, certain underground storages are in phase of “ drying up “. And, as expected, the recent heavy rains and storms over the country have not changed the situation. Because the water runs off and struggles to infiltrate deeply on very dry ground. The situation therefore remains tense almost everywhere.
Without regular and abundant rains spread over the coming months, it will be difficult to return to normal levels at the end of winter, already warns the BRGM.
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