Drought 2022: France on alert, map and restrictions at home

DROUGHT. In France, 93 departments are concerned by a restriction on the use of water. What are the different vigilance thresholds? Here is the map and the measures in force.

[Mis à jour le 1er août 2022 à 16h51] “The driest month of July” since 1958: for weeks, France has been facing a historic drought, prompting the authorities to impose restrictions on the use of water in 90 departments, at the beginning of August. “On average over France, eight millimeters of precipitation fell from July 1 to 25”, or “a huge deficit of precipitation”, told AFP Christian Veil, climatologist at Météo-France.

In areas where water use must be restricted, concrete measures have been put in place to limit water consumption for individuals, businesses and communities. For example, it may be forbidden to wash your car or water your garden. From Brittany to Alsace, from the North to the Pyrénées-Orientales, all the regions of France are concerned and certain images illustrate the scale of the phenomenon, such as this change in the water level at the Serre-Ponçon lake in the High mountains.

It is recommended to implement small daily actions to save water. To anticipate, water companies also call on all users (individuals, companies, industrialists, public services, etc.) to “sobriety” in the way they consume water in the face of this drought situation. Everyone at their own level can do something. For example, take showers instead of baths or turn off the water when washing your hands or teeth.

Which departments are on drought alert 2022? The list

Still new departments are affected by drought vigilance. As of August 1, 2022, 93 departments are at least at the alert level: nine are on alert, 38 on heightened alert and 46 in crisis.

The list of departments in a crisis situation (red alert): 46 departments are affected by this state of crisis for at least part of their territory. Let us mention Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, Indre, Loire-Atlantique, Mayenne or Sarthe, but also on part of the territory the Alpes-Maritimes, Dordogne, Ille et Vilaine, Isère, Loiret, Lot, Puy-de-Dôme or Vendée.

Out of 96 departments in a state of drought vigilance, only Aisne, Ariège, Corrèze, Hauts-de-Seine, Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis are not affected by at least one prefectural decree limiting certain uses of water, according to the government drought information site, Propluvia.

What is the drought map of France?

Propluvia is the institute of the Ministry of Ecological Transition responsible for monitoring water levels and the internet platform that allows direct consultation of water restriction orders. The site includes a scalable map to view the areas affected by these prefectural decrees.

The Ministry of Ecology published a map on this subject at the end of June, presenting the risks of drought in France for the months to come.

What are the different drought alert levels? What are the restrictions?

There are four main levels of drought vigilance and all of them result in the implementation of specific measures.

• Drought vigilance (level 1): informing and encouraging individuals and professionals to save water.
• Alert (level 2): ​​measures prohibiting the operation of valves, nautical activity, prohibition at certain times of watering gardens, green spaces, golf courses or washing one’s car. For farmers, reduction of levies for agricultural purposes below 50% (or ban up to 3 days a week).
• Enhanced alert (level 3): stronger limitation of withdrawals for watering gardens, green spaces, golf courses, car washing, etc., until certain withdrawals are prohibited. For farmers, reduction of levies for agricultural purposes greater than or equal to 50% (or ban greater than or equal to 3.5 days per week).
• Crisis (level 4): cessation of non-priority withdrawals, including withdrawals for agricultural purposes. Only withdrawals to ensure the exercise of priority uses are authorized. They concern sectors such as health, civil security, drinking water and sanitation.

As drought episodes are more and more frequent in France, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion and the Ministry for Energy Transition have published an informational video on their Twitter account on the causes and consequences of the drought, but also on the daily actions to be taken, whether you are an individual, a company or a community, to reduce your water consumption.

What are the small gestures that can help limit dryness?

Individuals have a role to play in limiting drought, in particular through small daily gestures summarized by the website of the Ministry of Ecological Transition:

• Avoid letting the water run
• Limit the watering of my garden,
• Install water-saving equipment,
• Take a shower instead of a bath
• Install a rainwater collector or containers under the gutter downspouts and in the garden to water it,
• Repair water leaks,
• Avoid running your washing machine or dishwasher half empty.