Global warming is increasingly felt in our daily lives. Indeed, the rebounds of abnormal temperatures for the season have been linked for several months. This summer, it was the heat wave episodes that marked the French population the most. Since then, the rain has continued to be too rare. Result: groundwater recharge remains low this winter, with the water level of three quarters of these groundwater tables being below seasonal norms, as reported by our colleagues from TF1.

The situation is serious: some municipalities continue to be supplied with drinking water by tank trucks, for lack of an alternative. Normally, the months of autumn and winter are synonymous with groundwater recharge. A reloading which was all the longer expected this year as a water deficit had accumulated over the whole of 2022. Another factor causing concern: this is not a localized phenomenon, but indeed extends to the entire metropolitan territory.

All is not yet lost: hopes are pinned on the spring rains, which could prove lifesaving. If the weather remains as dry as it has been so far, this summer could see water shortages on a far greater scale than last summer. The Geological and Mining Research Bureau, better known as BRGM, is the organization in charge of monitoring the state and level of natural water reserves.

The BRGM also encourages the French to limit their water consumption as much as possible in order to spare these famous water tables. Indeed, even given the current situation, nearly two-thirds of tap water in France comes directly from these natural, exhaustible and depleted reserves.

Faced with this situation, the Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu confided in Le Parisien to present the government’s action plan. Find below the main points of his speech.