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Where are tap water restrictions in place in France?
Nearly two dozen departments are restricting water usage in some way
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Heatwave drives water alerts across 51 French departments
Map illustrates departments affected by water warnings and restrictions across France
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Water restrictions in France: how to check rules in your area
Measures can affect everything from watering gardens and filling swimming pools to washing vehicles and irrigating crops
SEE: where water tables in France have refilled the most
Half of the groundwater reserves are above their normal levels after a wet autumn
France’s groundwater reserves are beginning to refill thanks to a wet October and November. We look at where they are most replenished.
In September, the Office for geological and mineral research, or BRGM, said that 60% of France’s water tables were below their average levels.
This followed a particularly hot and dry summer that had seen stiff rules brought in to limit the use of water in car washes and swimming pools.
To compound the issue, a particularly dry September saw 40% less rainfall than average.
Record-breaking rainfall
By the start of December, the situation had improved significantly, with 48% of the country’s groundwater reserves above their average levels.
In large part, this is due to the 26 days of record-breaking rainfall from the end of October to mid-November.
Météo France announced that during this period France averaged over 215 mm across the country.
Read more: Record rain refills water table in France but issues remain for 2024
Where have the water tables risen the most?
Currently, no rainfall is expected until at least December 21 (Thursday) however there are concerns a wet Christmas is in store for France.
This could bring floods back to areas already impacted this autumn – such as Pas-de-Calais and the Dordogne – as soils in the area are likely to still be saturated with water.
