The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes has just issued an order relating to the drought situation in the department. Details of the measures and the municipalities concerned.
The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes has just issued an order relating to the drought situation in the department.
A transition to the heightened alert stage for catchment areas of the Cagne, the Estéron and the Paillon is established.
The following are maintained at the alert stage: the watersheds of Artuby, Loup, Brague, upstream Var, central Var, downstream Var, Roya and Siagne.
The whole department has already been at the drought alert stage since March 10, 2023.
Since then, the situation has gotten even worse: the month of March has a rainfall deficit by -76%.
According to the prefect’s report, “The flow of rivers and groundwater are abnormally low for the season, causing dry seasons to appear about 3 months earlier than normal. The snowpack is in deficit by about 60% compared to relation to the average for the department.
Bernard Gonzalez, prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, has decided to strengthen the applicable water use restriction measures.
The Cagne, Estéron and Paillon watersheds are thus moving to the heightened alert stage. The municipalities concerned are as follows:
• Cagne watershed: Cagnes-sur-Mer, Gaude, Saint-Jeannet, Saint-Paul de Vence, Vence.
• Estéron watershed: Aiglun, Amirat, Ascros, Bézaudun-les-Alpes, Bonson, Bouyon, Brianconnet, Collongues, Conségudes, Coursegoules, Cuébris, Gars, Gilette, Penne, Mas, Broc, Ferres, Mujouls, Pierrefeu, Revest-les-Roches, Roquesteron, Roqueen-Provence, Saint-Antonin, Saint-Auban, Sallagriffon, Sigale, Toudon, Tourette-duChâteau.
The municipalities of Carros, Gattières and Tourettes-sur-Loup are also concerned, under the dual zoning system.
• Paillon watershed: Bendejun, Berre-les-Alpes, Blausasc, Cantaron, ChâteauneufVillevieille, Coaraze, Contes, Drap, l’Escarène, Lucéram, Peille, Peillon, Touët-de l’Escarène.
In all these municipalities, it is now prohibited:
- To water day and night, except for planting (trees and shrubs planted in the ground for less than 1 year and outside periods of drought restrictions) where the ban on watering applies from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- To wash your car or your boat (professional stations equipped with high pressure equipment and a water recycling system are still authorized), or to wash roads, terraces and facades with plenty of water.
- THE filling of private pools is also prohibited (with the exception of the first filling provided that the site has started before the start of the first stages of water restriction), however their leveling remains authorized.
Industrial users must reduce their consumption by 40%. The rest of the department is kept at the alert stage.
For his part, Charles Ange Ginésy, president of the Alpes-Maritimes Department, drew up an initial assessment of the Departmental Water Observatory this Friday.
This plan is divided into 4 pillars pursuing quantified objectives in terms of sobriety, innovation and exemplarity.
Combating water loss, €10 million
- Fund of €10 million intended for the identification and repair of water distribution networks, to move from a yield of 70 to 90% by 2030.
Promoting innovative systems, €10 million
- Call for Projects GREEN Deal “Water and innovation”, up to €5 million.
- Launch of the future “REUT” Call for Projects, up to €5 million (from June 2, 2023).
Support and exemplarity of the Departmental Council, €5 million
- Embody an exemplary community by installing water saving and consumption monitoring devices in each building of the community and its satellites.
Improving knowledge together to act, €2 million
- Installation of a Departmental Water Observatory which lists data, updates knowledge on water, maps the exploitable resource and constitutes a reservoir of ideas.