Drought: what are the water restrictions in force?
Verified 07 August 2026 - Entreprendre Service Public / (Prime Minister)
In times of drought, the use of waters shallow, underground and thedrinking water may be limited by decision of the prefect or mayor. The public service VigiEau presents the water restrictions in progress throughout France.
The drought is an episode of water shortage of varying length, but sufficient for soils and flora to be affected.
It can be regular or exceptional and has several consequences: drying up of watercourses, destabilization of natural environments, impact on the supply of drinking water, increased risk of fires, etc.
There are 3 types of drought:
- The meteorological or atmospheric drought corresponds to a pronounced and prolonged deficit of precipitation. This drought can lead to the other two types of drought.
- The hydrological drought occurs when groundwater supplies, rivers and lakes fall below average and show abnormally low levels. It can be the consequence of a particularly long and intense autumn and winter weather drought, but also of an overexploitation of water resources.
- The agricultural or soil drought is characterized by a lack of water affecting the soil and impairs vegetation development.
The prefect of department is competent to take measures to limit or suspend water uses in order to cope with a threat or the consequences of drought.
1st step: framework decree delimiting 4 alert levels
First of all, the prefect may take a framework decree to define the graduated and temporary restrictive measures to be taken, according to 4 alert levels, which are as follows:
Alert level | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
Vigilance | Triggering communication and awareness-raising measures for individuals and professionals to save water. | No restrictive measures are taken. |
Alert | Coexistence between all uses and the proper functioning of environments is no longer ensured. The prefect can take the first measures of water restrictions. | Irrigation by sprinkling of crops prohibited between 11am and 6pm |
Reinforced alert | Worsening alert level. The prefect can gradually limit levies and strengthen restrictive measures, so as not to reach the level of crisis. | Irrigation by sprinkling of crops prohibited between 9am and 8pm |
Crisis | Triggers bans to preserve priority uses: health, civil safety, drinking water, sanitation. | Irrigation by spraying of crops prohibited |
In theframework decree , the prefect must indicate the following:
- Conditions for triggering different levels of severity
Example :
Thresholds, reference points for flow rate and piezometric dimensions, information on hydro-meteorological forecasts, river temperatures, etc.
- Restriction measures to be implemented by use, sub-category of use or type of activity depending on the level of severity
- Essential water uses to be preserved as a priority
- Modalities for making restriction decisions.
2nd stage: temporary water use restriction order
Secondly, the prefect may take a temporary water use restriction order when a level of alert provided for in the framework order is observed to have been exceeded.
Restrictive measures must be:
- sufficient and proportionate to the aim pursued
- prescribed for a limited and possibly renewable period
- and interrupted, if necessary gradually, if the event giving rise to the restriction disappears.
These restrictions apply to the scale of each alert level.
They concern theall water users (companies, farmers, communities, individuals, etc.).
FYI
In the event of drought, the prefect remains the competent authority.
However, within the framework of its police powers, mayor may take more stringent special measures that the prefectural order temporarily restricting water use.
Example :
Restrict the watering of public or private green spaces to hours not provided for by the temporary water use restriction order.
Competence of the administrative authority to restrict the use of water in case of drought
Conditions for the implementation of a temporary water use restriction order
Conditions for the introduction of a framework decree
General police power of the mayor
VigiEau: an online service for all water restrictions during drought
The site VigiEau provides information on the water restrictions during drought.
Restrictions depend on:
- From consumer profile water: private individual, professional, farmer, etc.
- Of sound address, in particular of its department
- From type of water consumed: tap water, withdrawal from a river or stream, withdrawal from aquifers (wells or boreholes)
Learn about water restrictions in times of drought (VigiEau)
Please note
It is possible to subscribe to receive email alerts when water restrictions change in your territory.
The orders issued by the prefect are published on the website VigiEau and on the websites of each department prefecture during the entire restriction period.
They are also addressed to the mayor of each commune concerned to be posted there for information purposes.
They are also addressed to the mayor of each commune concerned to be displayed for information purposes.
Who shall I contact
General requirements applicable to all ICPEs
The restrictive measures provided for in the Framework Orders and the Temporary Water Restriction Orders also apply to installations classified for environmental protection (ICPE).
Specific requirements for certain ICPEs
ICPE concerned
In times of drought, there are specific requirements for certain ICPEs.
These are the ICPEs subject to recording and authorization and of which total annual water withdrawal is greater than 10,000 cubic meters.
The specific requirements do not nullify the restrictions already laid down in the framework decrees and the temporary restrictions on water uses.
Warning
These specific requirements do not apply to:
- Facilities required for the following activities:
- Collection, treatment and distribution of water intended for human consumption (drinking water) or conditioned water (spring water, water made potable by treatments, natural mineral water)
- Collection, treatment and distribution of water for health, social and medico-social facilities and services
- Water supply for drinking, animal health, survival and welfare and compliance with animal health rules
- Processing of perishable raw materials in the fresh state, which are not in the frozen state and whose processing cannot be postponed, into food and feed products or ingredients in a high-flow agri-food process
- Electricity generation, distribution and cogeneration
- Production and distribution of energy from renewable sources
- Production of medicinal products of major therapeutic interest and their active ingredients or of medicinal products contributing to a public health policy defined by the Minister responsible for health
- Collection, sorting, transit, grouping and treatment of hazardous and non-hazardous waste
- Cleaning of textiles used in healthcare facilities
- Operators of the following:
- Having reduced their water withdrawal by at least 20% since 1
- Using at least 20% of reused water in relation to water abstraction, subject to compliance with the health and environmental requirements in force
- Newly authorized or registered since 1.
Sampling thresholds to be respected
In alert level function, installations shall comply with the following rules:
- Vigilance : increased staff awareness of water-saving and water-efficiency rules through a written procedure posted on site
- Alert : reduction of water withdrawal from 5%
- Reinforced alert : reduction of water withdrawal from 10%
- Crisis : reduction of water withdrawal from 25%.
Calculation of reference volume
These reductions shall apply on the basis of reference volume, namely the average daily water withdrawal.
To determine the reference volume, we must remember maximum value between the two averages following:
- average of daily volumes taken calculated over calendar year N-1
- average of the daily volumes taken calculated over the corresponding calendar quarter of the previous year.
FYI
Only days of activities outside the drought restriction period shall be taken into account for the calculation of the reference volume.
A fixed value of 5% is deducted of this reference volume. This corresponds to the uses necessary for safety ICPE.
The operator may deduct a higher volume subject to justification.
The volumes ofmine water can be deduced from the reference volume.
Implementation of restrictions
Reductions must be achieved at the latest 3 days after one of the alert levels has been triggered.
In case of levels ofheightened alerts or crisis, the operator shall transmit to the inspection of classified installations for each calendar week (no later than Wednesday) the following information:
- the daily volumes of water collected and consumed in the previous calendar week
- and the estimated average daily volume collected and consumed for the purposes of its installation for the current calendar week.
The last transmission takes place the week following the lifting of the enhanced alert and crisis levels.
FYI
The transmission is done from the site GIDAF dedicated to the transmission of the results of the self-monitoring carried out by the ICPE operators.
GIDAF Site (Computerized Management of Frequent Self-Monitoring Data)
Prefecture of the Rhône
Pour en savoir plus
Documents to be forwarded to the ICPE inspection
The operator shall keep up to date, at the disposal of the ICPE inspection, the following:
- the reference volume and the elements for calculating and justifying it
- the average daily water volume
- If concerned, the sensitization procedure staff with rules of good use and water saving
- If concerned, the evidence of reductions in water withdrawal at least 20% since 1, or use at least 20% of reused water
These 4 elements must be transmitted at the latest 3 days after a severity level is triggered.
- The list of sampling and discharge media, volumes of water sampled, discharged and consumed associated with each sampling and discharge medium, direct or indirect, and the associated water body codes. Quarterly and annual summaries must be made. These volumes are to be filled in:
- Weekly: if the total debit taken is greater than 100 cubic meters/day
- Monthly: if the total throughput is less than 100 cubic meters/day
- The list of improvements or investments having reduced the volumes taken or consumed and the corresponding volumes saved for each year, since 1.
To contact the ICPE inspection, you must contact the regional directorate for the environment, planning and housing (DREAL), or the DRIEAT in Île-de-France.
Who shall I contact
Individual requirements for certain ICPEs
In addition to the general requirements, the prefect may prefer to take individual decisions in order to adapt restriction measures on installation-specific water consumption. These decisions must be reflected in the adoption of prefectural orders complementary to the operating authorization order.
A company can structure and optimize its water consumption by setting up a water action plan dedicated.
The Water Agencies can bring financial aid companies for the implementation of actions or works contributing to the balanced and sustainable management of water resources.
Who can help me?
The Public Service company Advisors
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