The situation of groundwater in France "
has deteriorated and is unsatisfactory
", with all of them below normal, after an exceptional drought last year and a long period without rain recently, according to an official report released on Monday.
"
All the groundwater shows levels below normal and 80% of the levels are moderately low to very low
", indicates the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM) in its bulletin on the situation on March 1st.
For the next few months, the BRGM reports “
great uncertainty
”, underlined Violaine Bault, hydrogeologist during a press conference.
Little hope for spring
The evolution of the trends "
will depend essentially on the rainfall
", adds the organization which nevertheless estimates that "
the reconstitution of stocks by spring remains difficult to envisage on the reactive aquifers (the most sensitive to rain, editor's note) displaying very low levels
.
Recharging could resume in certain sectors in March but "
the next rains will probably have little impact
", insofar as from April onwards, the resumption of vegetation will absorb most of the water.
Read alsoDrought 2023: what solutions to prevent water shortages in summer
Insufficient winter rainfall
The organization points out that the rains of autumn and winter, an essential recharging period for the reconstitution of stocks, were "
very insufficient to compensate for the deficits accumulated during the year 2022
".
The month of February, which according to Météo-France was the 4th driest in France since 1959 with in particular a record series of 32 days without precipitation between January 21 and February 21, was particularly damaging, with a “brutal
stop charging
", notes Violaine Bault.
At the end of this month, the levels are "
generally down
" on the reactive aquifers, while the 2022-23 recharge period began "
one to two months late
" and "
remains in deficit
".