Heatwave brings more water restrictions: latest rules and advice across France

Water restrictions will likely affect many areas of France this summer, however they are already in place in some areas and are likely to become stricter.

The departments already affected by restrictions are already planning to tighten them due the early summer heat and a lack of spring rain. 

In Pyrénées-Orientales, where drought conditions have persisted for nearly four years, the prefect has announced that strict restrictions on water use will be reintroduced within days. 

These had been eased at the end of May following rainfall, but the return of dry, hot weather in June has forced officials to act. 

“The problem is not behind us, far from it,” said prefect Thierry Bonnier, speaking after a local water management meeting on June 20.

The renewed restrictions will match those in place earlier this year, targeting domestic and agricultural use of surface water and aquifer-connected wells and reservoirs. 

Farmers and other users deemed to be managing water responsibly will benefit from limited exemptions, under a new decree being finalised.

The restrictions are in addition to those already in place, including the ban on filling up private swimming pools, which already applies in areas with the lowest ‘alert’ level, including most of the department.

Further north, in Loire-Atlantique and Vendée, rising temperatures and a continued lack of rainfall have prompted a fresh series of measures. 

In Loire-Atlantique, restrictions have been extended to several river basins, including the Logne and the Boulogne, after water levels failed to recover despite recent thunderstorms. 

Vendée has issued a drinking water alert which does not yet impose limits but is intended to encourage responsible use before summer demand peaks.

In Brittany, particularly in Ille-et-Vilaine and Morbihan, heat and drought have combined with deteriorating air quality to trigger restrictions. 

In Morbihan watering gardens, filling pools, and irrigating sports fields has been banned in some areas since June 19. 

Similar restrictions have applied in parts of Indre (Centre-Val de Loire) since June 15 and Orne (Normandy) since June 10, where rainfall has been well below seasonal norms.

You can check the status of water restrictions in your department by consulting the website of government drought monitoring service VigiEau or on the website of your departmental prefecture (eg. Indre, Orne)

‘Emergency’ level

Some communes are already classed as being in a drinking water “emergency”, including parts of Pyrénées-Orientales, Loiret, and Ardennes, according to VigiEau. 

With conditions likely to worsen through July and August, local authorities continue to stress the importance of saving water. 

One regional provider, Vendée Eau, notes that a family of four can cut annual consumption by 30,000 litres through small, consistent changes in daily habits.

The current heatwave, which has also led to restrictions on driving due to a pollution spike in the south-east, is forecast to end with a bout of storms and rain on Wednesday, June 25.