Three areas out of seventeen are in crisis in Eure-et-Loir. Seventy-eight communes in the Chartrain basin, Thymerais and Drouais are affected by the drought. Since May 15, "dry and hot weather is aggravated by a windy phenomenon that dries the soil," warns Françoise Souliman, the prefect of the department. "The situation has deteriorated rapidly, despite the rains in early May, the aquifers are not recharged, and we are in a much more delicate situation than last year," she warns.
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"The rainfall regime, favorable in spring, is less so," adds Guillaume Baron. The director of the Departmental Directorate of Territories (DDT) explains that the services of the State have "modeled all the rivers": "Since May 15, the flows plunge and stabilize below the alert thresholds". Three rivers are in crisis: the Eure Moyen Haut, the Vesgre and the Blaise.
Swimming pools, vegetable gardens and green spaces on dry diets
To prevent the effects of drought, the State is putting in place from Thursday, June 8, 2023 restrictions on water use. Every Thursday morning, the prefecture will publish, on its website and in the local media, a map of the departmental drought situation. The prefect demonstrates this: "I click on my commune and I see exactly what I have the right to do, it's extremely easy". Individuals (domestic uses), community, company, farmer, are subject to various restrictions whose "reading is simplified by pictograms" shows Guillaume Baron.
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Residents of territories in crisis will be prohibited from watering lawns or vegetable gardens from 9 a.m. to 20 p.m., but also from filling their swimming pools. For communities, it will be forbidden to water green spaces, from 11 a.m. to 18 p.m., from the alert threshold and a complete ban from the reinforced alert level. The sixty irrigators of the Chartrain basin will also have to limit their withdrawals and will not be able to water their crops between 11 a.m. and 17 p.m., but a derogation will be possible, by choosing to irrigate every other day. The objective "is to preserve the resource and not relive the summer of 2022," comments Françoise Souliman.
The washing of vehicles in the stations will also be regulated in situations of alert. "It has been decided that the rollers will be usable only in eco mode, i.e. basic washing, and for high-pressure tracks, one out of two will have to close" details the prefect of Eure-et-Loir who received representatives of the profession, Tuesday, May 30.
