Controls on water use, which may be restricted due to the persistent drought in France, have resulted in a finding of violation or breach in around 7% of cases since the start of the year, according to a report from the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) published on Friday, August 18. “To date, the OFB has already carried out nearly 6,000 controls relating to quantitative water management measures throughout the national territory, 90% of which relate to drought decrees issued by the prefects in the departments” , indicates the public establishment, which concentrated more than 1,000 checks on the single week of July 3 to 10.
“Mistakes or violations committed by professionals or individuals were noted in approximately 7% of cases. These control operations will continue at least until the fall, as long as the drought restrictions persist,” the OFB added in a statement. Among the types of violations: “prohibited irrigation, exceeding authorized flow rates, watering, unauthorized hours, swimming pools, etc. “, detailed a spokeswoman for the OFB to AFP. Individuals incur a fine of 1,500 euros, as for legal persons, they risk a fine of 7,500 euros.
In mid-August, 78 departments were affected by water restrictions, including 40 in a crisis situation, which corresponds to the highest level of alert, according to the latest figures provided by the OFB. In “crisis”, many uses of water are prohibited, such as filling swimming pools, washing cars or watering sports fields. In agriculture, irrigation is also prohibited (except seeds and plants with certain systems).
“The various checks carried out by OFB agents are placed under the authority of the prefects who identify the types of water use and the geographical sectors of the department to be prioritized. Thus, according to these, they may concern individuals, farmers, businesses or even communities, ”said the spokesperson. France had 72% of its groundwater tables below normal for the season on August 1, compared to 68% a month earlier, despite the summer rains, which cannot penetrate the ground deeply, according to the latest government tally.