Water restrictions in place for 62 French departments

The restrictions were imposed this week, from October 11 onwards. There are four levels of restriction, with each depending on the drought level in the given region.

To be certain of the level of water restriction in your area, you can check the prefectoral decrees for the affected areas on the website Propluvia, an online tool created by the minister for Ecology.

The restrictions must also be displayed at the local Mairie for each affected commune, and also be published in regional and local newspapers.

Map from the Propluvia website, published midnight October 13

The levels are “Vigilance” (grey on the Propluvia map), encouraging businesses and the public to save water; “Alerte” (yellow), a 50% reduction in agriculture water use, restrictions in nautical leisure activities, and time limits on activities such as watering the grass or filling your pool.

The “Alerte Renforcée” (orange) means even more restrictions on agriculture; a limit on garden watering; and no activities such as car washing. “Crise” (red) indicates a stoppage of all non-priority use of water, with only water used for urgent healthcare, drinking, or national security permitted.

The aim of the restrictions is to prevent forest fires due to drought, with many departments still feeling the effects of this year’s extremely hot summer.

The full list of departments with restrictions in place:
Ain (01), Allier (03), Ardèche (07), Aveyron (12), Cantal (15), Charente (16), Charente-Maritime (17), Cher (18), Côtes-d’Or (21), Creuse (23), Dordogne (24), Doubs (25), Drôme (26), Eure (27), Eure-et-Loir (28), Finistère (29), Gard (30), Haute-Garonne (31), Indre (36), Indre et Loire (37), Isère (38), Jura (39), Landes (40), Loir-et-Cher (41), Haute-Loire (42), Haute-Loire(43), Loire-Atlantique (44), Loiret (45), Lot (46), Lot-et-Garonne (47), Lozère (48), Maine-et-Loire (49), Haute-Marne (52), Mayenne (53), Meurthe et Moselle (54), Meuse (55), Moselle (57), Nièvre(58), Nord (59), Oise (60), Puy-de-Dôme (63), Hautes-Pyrénées (65), Pyrénées Orientales (66), Bas-Rhin (67), Haut-Rhin (68), Rhône (69), Haute-Saône (70), Saône et Loire (71), Sarthe (72), Savoie (73), Haute-Savoie (74), Deux-Sèvres (79), Tarn (81), Tarn-et-Garonne (82), Vendée (85), Vienne (86), Haute-Vienne (87), Vosges (88), Le Territoire de Belfort (90), Yonne (89) Essonne (91), and Seine-et-Marne (94).