First water restrictions of 2024 in two departments of south-west France

Restrictions on how homeowners can use water will come into force this Saturday (July 20) in two departments in the south-west of France for the first time this year. 

The restrictions are being introduced in certain areas Haute-Garonne and Lot from Saturday at 8:00.

This includes a ban on filling swimming pools with water, watering your garden, and cleaning certain parts of your property. 

The rules will come into effect in multiple areas of the departments, including:

• For Haute-Garonne, communes on the left-bank of the Garonne river (around Ondes), and some communes in the east.
• For Lot, communes in the Séoune basin in particular, as well as near the Grande Barguelonne, the Tournefeuille, the Vert and tributaries of the Lot.

Despite a wet May and various storms this year, high temperatures have seen water levels drop in the area, and a first batch of restrictions are being brought in to prevent long-term issues. 

“Rainfall in spring and early summer 2024 was close to seasonal normals. This trend has helped to maintain a generally favourable hydrological situation in our department,” said the department’s prefecture in a press release on the matter. 

“Flows in the department's largest rivers remain satisfactory. However, some smaller rivers are experiencing a drop in flow due to high temperatures and the lack of rainfall for several days.” 

Water tables in France mostly recovered from being severely reduced during 2022 and 2023 by successive droughts, although in some areas they remain critically low. 

As summers get warmer, and less rainfall generally occurs throughout the year, droughts are becoming more likely across multiple areas of the country.

Restrictions have already been in place in parts of the south, including the Pyrénées-Orientales, Ariège, Hérault, and Var departments.

Read more: Tap water fees for homes to be seasonal in Toulouse

Restrictions vary 

Exact restrictions on water usage vary depending on the level of restrictions, that come in four main levels:

• Vigilance
• Alerte
• Alerte Renforcée
• Crise

The higher this level, the stricter the restrictions are. 

Measures include: 

• A ban on watering gardens between certain hours of the day

• A ban on washing your car 

• A ban on washing outside parts of your house (pathway, roof, etc)

• A ban on filling or re-filling your swimming pool (unless it is for the first time after construction)

At the highest level, water can only be used for immediate requirements (drinking, washing and cleaning inside your home, personal hygiene, with a ban on how large the basins you fill with water can be). 

Fountains, parks, and other sites managed by public authorities may have their water usage affected – or their access to water turned off – at higher levels. 

How do I know the restrictions in my commune? 

Unlike some other restrictions or warnings (such as weather alerts) which affect an entire department, water usage restrictions are given out at a communal level. 

It means they can change significantly within a department, as they are based on local water levels.

In addition, warnings are not uniform, and even within each level, not all restrictions will be applied to communes in the same way.

There is a government site which allows you to look up water restrictions in your commune. 

You can type your address into the VigiEau website and it will provide you with an overview of restrictions within. 

There is also an interactive map, which you can use to click on areas to see what the restrictions are there. 

(Note, the restrictions in the Haute-Garonne and Lot are not currently shown, as they will only be raised from July 20). 

Read more: How do I see if any drought rules are affecting my French home?