Faced with a situation “exceptional” this year, the majority of the Var has been placed on enhanced drought alert while the coastal municipalities of the department have been placed on alert, the prefecture announced on Tuesday 2 May.
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As early as mid-February, the prefect of Var, Evence Richard, had launched a “alarm call” and placed the majority of the department (85 municipalities) on drought alert (the second level out of four), while two municipalities – Riboux and Saint-Zacharie – were on heightened alert (the third level), the other 66 municipalities remaining on simple vigilance (the first level).
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“Winter recharging has been non-existent”
However, with regard to water flows, “winter recharges were non-existent or very insufficient, so we start from a deficit situation with very low spring rainfall, with a 75 to 80% deficit in March-April”explained Julian Assante, project manager at the Departmental Directorate of Territories and the Sea (DDTM), during a press conference.
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Hence the now placement of these 85 municipalities on heightened alert, which implies in particular a ban on watering green spaces and washing your car or boat. The filling of private swimming pools is also prohibited, except for the first filling if the site has started before the start of the first stages of water restriction.
A collective effort
Among the 66 other municipalities, 43 of them, the majority of which are on the coast, are on alert, under the principle of solidarity. “So that everyone makes an effort with the water”completed the prefect.
“This solidarity is a strong demand expressed in particular last summer by the municipalities in the north of the department (…) which were subject to sometimes significant constraints and looked with a little suspicion on certain municipalities on the coast on which the beach showers flowed without restriction”he pointed out.
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“We opt for something progressive: we prefer to go up gradually but also go down gradually as soon as the situation seems to have improved sufficiently”said Evence Richard, saying bet on ” pedagogy “.
“If we go too fast and very far from the start, we will have a subject of acceptability on the part of our fellow citizens” : for the municipalities now in a crisis situation, Riboux and Saint-Zacharie, “the extent of the bans is still very penalizing”he pleaded.
