the departments where it is strictly prohibited

Gardenlawn, flowers… If you water your little corner of greenery and that you live in the departments listed below, you risk a large fine. The drought is unfortunately not over and continues to suffocate France. After a rainless winter and a year 2022 the hottest ever measured in France since the beginning of the surveys in 1900, the water tables are struggling to replenish their water supply. Water restrictions are therefore still relevant.

THE drinking water restrictions continue in the following departments: Ain (reinforced alert), Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (alert), Alpes-Maritimes (alert), Ardèche (alert), Aude (reinforced alert), Bouches-du-Rhône (crisis), Deux-Sèvres (alert), Drôme (reinforced alert), Haute-Saône (alert), Hérault (alert), Isère (reinforced alert), Oise (reinforced alert), Pyrénées-Orientales (reinforced alert), Seine-et-Marne (alert), Var (crisis), Vaucluse (alert), Vienne (alert) and Yvelines (reinforced alert).

What are the departments where it is forbidden to water?

Some departments are on alert, others on alert and some in crisis. Drought is categorized into 4 levels of severity as follows:

• Vigilance: encourage individuals and professionals to save water (level of awareness, no restriction);
• Alert: reduction of all water withdrawals and prohibition of activities impacting aquatic environments; restrictions on watering, filling and emptying swimming pools, washing vehicles and irrigating crops;
• Reinforced alert: reduction of all water withdrawals and prohibition of activities impacting aquatic environments; increased restrictions on watering, filling and emptying swimming pools, washing vehicles and irrigating crops;
• Crisis: this level is triggered to preserve priority uses; prohibition of water withdrawals for agriculture (totally or partially), for many domestic uses and for public spaces.

[#AlerteSecheresse] 💧 Extension of restrictions on the use of water in the #gard and crisis in the Cèze Aval area 🔴

ℹ️ Find all the restrictions and areas concerned on https://t.co/UNroNqPYts pic.twitter.com/pmuPj4IlNg

— Prefect of Gard (@Prefect30) April 24, 2023

Depending on the situation, you will have the right to water your garden at certain times or watering will be completely prohibited. If your department is placed on alert, watering lawns, flower beds and vegetable gardens is prohibited between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The watering of green spaces is prohibited, except for plantations less than one year old. The filling and emptying of private swimming pools (more than 1m3) is prohibited, except for leveling and first filling.

In the event of a heightened alert, the watering of lawns and flower beds is strictly prohibited, the watering of vegetable gardens is prohibited between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. and the watering of green spaces is prohibited, except for plantations less than one year old. If the crisis level is triggered, the watering of lawns, flower beds and green spaces is prohibited and the watering of vegetable gardens is prohibited between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

How do you know if you have the right to water?

To cope with periods of insufficient water resources, the prefects can take exceptional, gradual and temporary measures to limit or suspend non-priority water uses for individuals and professionals. You can check if your city or department is affected by drinking water restrictions by going to the site Propluvia.

Water restrictions: a large fine in the event of watering in the departments concerned

If you water your lawn or plants while the county you live in is on alert or in crisis and must follow drinking water restrictions, you risk pay a hefty fine. Indeed, in case of non-compliance with water restrictions, you will have to pay a fine of 1500 euros. In the event of a repeat offence, the sum is doubled and the fine increases to 3,000 euros. “For companies, associations and communities, the bill is more salty with a fine that rises to 7,500 euros”indicates demarchesadministratives.fr.