The minister invited these prefects, who drive state policy in terms of water management, "not to have a shaking hand to issue decrees", saying he was "alarmed" by the deficit of water in the soil, in an interview with AFP.
Last summer, "we had up to 700 municipalities affected by drinking water problems. If we don't take measures upstream, we run the risk of having an even higher figure. next summer and on larger territories" with larger agglomerations concerned, he warned.
France has been suffering from an unprecedented drought for several weeks, following a year 2022 that was already particularly poor in rainfall.
Over the last 18 months, 15 have been loss-making.
Between January 21 and February 21, the metropolis did not experience any real rain - the aggregate rainfall total being less than 1 mm daily, i.e. for 32 days, the longest period "since the start of the measurements in 1959" , Météo-France announced on Wednesday.
"I have no difficulty explaining to the prefects that you have to be alarmed," Béchu told AFP.
In three regions, "Occitanie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the southern region", indicated the minister, "the level of soil humidity corresponds to that normally observed at the end of May".
All of the French departments are below normal soil humidity, added Mr. Béchu.
He therefore asked the prefects to bring together the departmental water resources committees by the end of March to issue restriction orders where necessary.
He also wanted to have a "live observatory of the municipalities which are deprived for all or part of drinking water".
Christophe Béchu also returned to the lack of snow cover which should result "in a water deficit in our valleys when the snow melts".
From the "second half of April, the falling water no longer recharges the groundwater as much", he underlined.
At present, four departments are already on heightened alert: Ain, Isère, Bouches-du-Rhône and Pyrénées-Orientales.
A figure that will inevitably climb, warned Christophe Béchu.
© 2023 AFP