Jean-Luc Boujon, edited by Alexandre Dalifard 06h12, March 21, 2023

This winter, the France was hit by a major drought. And despite the rains of recent days, France should not escape the drought this summer. This is why the French are turning to solutions to deal with it, such as rainwater collectors, which are very popular.

Despite the rains of recent days, the France is not expected to escape drought this summer. Moreover, 14 departments have already reached the alert threshold and 10 others are under surveillance. This is why the government must announce in the coming days a "water plan" including fifty measures aimed at "sobriety" and savings. As for electricity a few months ago. For example, individuals could have a financial incentive to install water-saving devices.

But obviously, the French did not wait to become aware of this necessity. For several months, they have been rushing to rainwater collectors, these large plastic cubes that are installed near gutters. For the occasion, Europe 1 went near Lyon to meet these French people.

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"A very big demand"

Present in the garden area of a large DIY area, Xavier wants to equip himself with a rainwater collector for this summer. "We're looking to install one at home. For the vegetable garden and to have a little water, since it becomes a rare commodity. It's a shame not to recover what falls from the sky. And we must help the planet," he admits to the microphone of Europe 1. But the choice is not huge for Xavier.

The waste pickers' shelf is already almost empty, explains Benoit Duc, garden manager at Leroy Merlin Vourles. "We only have 5 left. And, in my opinion, on Wednesday or Thursday, we will have more at all. There is a very big demand. For 3 weeks/a month, we have been selling at least 4 or 5 waste pickers per day. This is almost more than 100% compared to last year," says the manager. Because, for more and more French people, the water collector is THE right solution on all levels. "I have 4 at home. That's a lot of savings because water is expensive," says Mario. "I also save a lot of money. I see it. I get it, myself, the water. Otherwise, it goes into the sewers," says Franck. "And it's good for ecology, it comes with it. I think of the planet and our children," concludes Béatrice.

>> READ ALSO – "One house in two can be impacted": how the drought has become a danger for housing

A useful purchase and not that expensive: between 60 and 300 euros. And in this sector near Lyon, some municipalities offer aid of 50 euros for any purchase of a water recovery system.