Drought in southern France: Village bans brushing teeth and cooking with tap water

Created: 06/22/2022, 21:42

By: Patrick Huljina

The earliest heat wave since 1947 has exacerbated drought conditions in southern France.

A village near Nice is now taking drastic measures.

Villars-sur-Var - Drought, temperatures above 40 degrees: an early summer heat wave has hit France in recent weeks.

The weather service Météo France spoke of the earliest heat wave since 1947. New temperature records for the month of June were set in eleven areas.

In Biarritz, southwestern France, 42.9 degrees was measured on Saturday (June 18), the highest value since records began.

Drought in southern France: village bans brushing teeth and cooking with water from the tap

Due to the persistent drought, a southern French village has now taken drastic measures.

Brushing your teeth and drinking from the tap are currently prohibited in Villars-sur-Var – almost 50 kilometers north of Nice.

This was announced by the municipality in southern France on Tuesday (June 20).

The water from the tap should not be used for cooking, it said.

Due to the drought, not enough water comes from the spring that supplies the town of 760 inhabitants with drinking water.

Brushing your teeth under the tap: This is forbidden in a southern French village.

(Iconic image) © IMAGO / Shotshop

Heatwave in France: villagers receive two bottles of drinking water a day

For the time being, every resident will receive two bottles of drinking water per day from the town hall.

The responsible water supply company has already found a new extraction point.

But the study of the water quality is not yet complete, the statement said.

At the end of May, the prefecture of Alpes-Maritimes had already rationed the water.

Washing cars, filling private pools and watering lawns have since been banned in the department that includes Nice and the Côte d'Azur.

The heat wave that swept through France last week has now abated.

In some parts of the country, however, it has exacerbated the drought that has persisted since the dry winter and spring.

In the middle of the Lake Garda season, drinking water is also becoming scarce in northern Italy.

There has been no rain for months.

Water is already rationed in some communities.

Now Lake Garda is to be tapped.