Hosepipe bans extended in Brittany

Residents are being banned from washing cars, filling swimming pools and watering gardens as a continuing drought hits parts of Brittany.

Despite rains since the beginning of the year, Ille-et-Vilaine is still short of drinkable water and restrictions are being continued as levels are still far below where they should be for spring.

Lesser restrictions have also been introduced in Côtes d’Armor while Morbihan has a meeting planned later this month if the situation does not improve.

Other departments in the north-west half of the country are also facing some difficulties even if restrictions have not yet been brought in. In Normandy they include Calvados and Eure, in Centre-Val de Loire, Maine-et-Loire; in Nouvelle Aquitaine, Charente and there are also problems in Haut-Rhin, Grand Est, and Savoie in Rhône-Alpes.

Commercial weather service La Chaine Météo produced interesting graphs on how the problem has arisen over the past 12 months.

The Ille-et-Vilaine prefect has continued restrictions banning the washing of cars and shop fronts and ordering that water features stay empty but also extended them to include a ban on filling swimming pools and watering gardens.

Department water authority SMG35 said that rainfall since the turn of the year had been at normal levels but autumn had seen hardly any – 70% down on normal – and this had left reservoirs and underground aquifers short despite piping in water from other parts of the region which had no problems.

Jean-Pierre Trouslard of SMG35 told reporters they were starting to get worried as the aquifers did not refill in winter and they had been down on water supplies since last summer – with a 30% shortfall over the past six months.

The swimming pool ban could hit families this weekend as the forecast is bright with a very sunny Sunday.