"It's an offence!": In Dunkirk, the "water police" track down abuse

2022-08-04T17:54:00.590Z

State agents patrol to stop the pumping of water for recreational use, or in abnormal proportions. At the bend of a path bordering wheat fields, a small pond is revealed, at the exit of the village of Bambecque (North), near Dunkirk, in a landscape typical of maritime Flanders. To fill this basin, a pipe was installed, from which water gushes abundantly and noisily. The police officers from the French Office for Biodiversity, responsible for this type of control during droughts, approach. “It i

At the bend of a path bordering wheat fields, a small pond is revealed, at the exit of the village of Bambecque (North), near Dunkirk, in a landscape typical of maritime Flanders.

To fill this basin, a pipe was installed, from which water gushes abundantly and noisily.

The police officers from the French Office for Biodiversity, responsible for this type of control during droughts, approach.

“It is clearly an offence,

observes Bertrand Warnez, head of service at the OFB du Nord.

It is forbidden, in times of drought, to fill a pond.

The pipe is connected to a pump submerged in the Yser river, a little below.

The pace is sustained: 5000 liters per hour.

The water is used to fill a pond bordered by hunting huts (for waterfowl).

In the midst of a drought, the water level and the green surroundings of the pond are astonishing…

“In addition, evaporation is very strong on this type of body of water when the temperatures are high.
We lose on all counts”,

explains…

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