DROUGHT – The prefect of Var brings together the department’s water resources committee and calls on everyone to take responsibility for saving water.
On Wednesday August 10, the prefect of Var brought together the department’s water resources committee bringing together all the players concerned by water management: State services, ARS, OFB, elected officials and communities, water management unions rivers, water producers, chamber of agriculture, chamber of commerce and industry, departmental fishing federation….
The current drought situation in the Var is exceptional. The rainfall deficit for the 2021/2022 season exceeds 40% for the Var and it reached up to 100% for the months of July and August 2022 compared to July and August 2021. Even if rain is forecast around the weekend August 15th, there is little improvement to be expected. The successive heat waves since June have accentuated this phenomenon and the situation of a large number of rivers in the Var is critical.
87 municipalities in drought crisis
In accordance with the drought framework decree, several measures to restrict the use of water have been taken.
Today, 87 municipalities out of the 153 in the department are in drought crisis, the highest level of severity, 23 on heightened alert, 42 on alert and 1 on vigilance.
All of the decrees and water restriction measures in progress in the department can be consulted on the website of the Var prefecture www.var.gouv.fr as well as on the Propluvia website http://www.propluvia.developpement-durable.gouv.fr and also displayed in town halls.
11 municipalities in tension for drinking water
Eleven municipalities in the department are experiencing tensions over their drinking water supply. No rupture has yet occurred thanks to the solidarity and the organization set up by the State services, the regional health agency and the communities.
70 checks carried out since the beginning of July
In order to enforce these decrees, a control plan piloted by the prefect is activated with the support of the OFB, the DDTM, the gendarmerie and the municipal police. Since the beginning of July, 70 checks have been carried out, half of which proved to be non-compliant.
People who do not respect the restrictions on the use of water are exposed to 5th class fines, which can go up to 1,500 euros for an individual and 7,500 euros for a professional.
Immediate and medium-term measures
Faced with this critical situation, and after sharing feedback from the current situation, measures to be implemented immediately have been identified: closure of beach showers, closure of irrigation canals without a manager, passage of
recommendation to prohibit watering from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for agricultural uses from the Provence Canal resource, strict compliance and control of reserved flows.
A letter will also be sent to the mayors to remind them of the interest of taking up the prefectural decrees in the form of municipal decrees in order to allow the intervention of the municipal police.
Medium-term measures have also been identified to develop the departmental framework decree, in particular a necessary reflection to strengthen inter-zone solidarity in an upstream-downstream logic or to strengthen the principle of solidarity as well as a reflection on the inventory and the control of private pumping in watercourses for non-agricultural or unauthorized use.
At the end of the meeting, the prefect made a point of highlighting the efforts already made by the communities and actors concerned for the dissemination of good practices and measures in force and to encourage the strengthening and mobilization of all users.
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