Paris (France) (AFP) – Tanker trucks and distributions of mineral water bottles: the lack of rain from spring and successive heatwaves have led to situations of extreme drought in France this summer. To limit the effects on drinking water of these crises destined to repeat themselves, there is no miracle solution, but levers exist.

Published on: 03/09/2026 - 11:41 Modified on: 03/09/2026 - 17:46

Sifting through these responses, with the federation of water companies (FP2E) and the independent hydrologist Charlène Descollonges, while the entire metropolitan territory was still affected on Wednesday by drinking water restrictions, including 60 departments at the "crisis" level, the most serious, according to the government website Vigieau.

Better control consumption

Fight against leaks

Around 20% of the drinking water produced in France is lost before reaching the tap, causing the loss of nearly a billion cubic meters of water each year.

To detect leaks, water companies have many tools, including acoustic sensors to detect vibrations or artificial intelligence.

Reducing these figures, "it's expensive, but it's essential", comments Charlène Descollonges, who calls for not limiting ourselves to reducing leaks in drinking water networks, but also in agricultural sanitation and irrigation networks.

Recharge groundwater

The operation consists of pumping water from a river, when it is abundant or using treated wastewater, to supply an aquifer in preparation for the summer, particularly in regions where the influx of tourists increases consumption.

Reuse wastewater

The reuse of treated wastewater, particularly for agricultural irrigation, is still very little developed in France: around 1% of wastewater is reused compared to 15% in Spain.

This technique, which consists of reusing water treated in a treatment plant, is favored in areas close to the coast where the reduction in discharges has less impact than on waterways affected by drought. The potential is considerable, according to Mr. Pouradier-Duteil, who speaks of hundreds of millions of cubic meters.

The process can "constitute a sort of water insurance for agriculture, industry, tourism, etc.", believes Ms. Descollonges, who however underlines the cost of this technique.

Develop interconnections

This common approach consists of reciprocally connecting distinct distribution units with the aim of ensuring the continuity of the supply of drinking water. It allows, in more rural areas, communities which have strong resources “to be able to secure someone who will have fewer resources”, explains Mr. Pouradier-Duteil.

The development of new interconnections “allows a certain solidarity between territories”, for Ms Descollonges, who however warns against the risk of an “illusion” that water “is abundant everywhere” and of “maladaptation”.

Desalinate sea water

The purification of sea water, by distillation or filtration under high pressure through a membrane with microscopic pores, is common in desert areas, notably the Gulf countries, but also practiced in Spain and the United Kingdom. It “can respond, tomorrow, to the needs of certain territories facing a lack of water” in France, believes Aurélie Colas, general delegate of the FP2E.

Despite technical progress, its critics emphasize its energy-intensive nature and the problems posed by brine discharge for biodiversity.

Restore waterways and slow the water cycle

In 2025, extensive work carried out by Voies navigables de France on the Loire estuary was completed, which "made it possible to slow down the cycle" of the river which was "flowing too quickly" and "sinking", bringing down the level of neighboring water tables, recalls Mr. Pouradier-Duteil.

On a smaller scale, the association Pour une hydrologie regenerative (PUHR), co-founded by Ms. Descollonges, is trying to tackle the denaturation of watercourses by human activity.

In question, the sanitation and drainage work of marshes, for agriculture but also the development of watercourses for river transport or the extraction of gravel from river beds for public works.

The goal of this regeneration: “To have rivers capable of absorbing excess rain and retaining water in times of drought.”

The association trains farmers to develop the plots, in particular by planting trees and creating ponds and infiltration ditches.

This practice, which can help avoid the use of more expensive solutions, will however "not have many effects" on waterways if it is practiced in isolation, warns Ms. Descollonges, who calls for it to be "massified".

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