The Water plan has been expected since January and has been postponed several times while France is experiencing a record rainfall deficit.
The government’s plan to improve water management will be presented on Thursday, announced Monday, March 27 on France Inter the Minister for Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu. France is experiencing a record rainfall deficit, but the presentation of this famous plan has been regularly postponed in recent weeks. “The plan is complete”assures the minister.
>> INFOGRAPHICS. Visualize in a graph the worrying level of groundwater
“Global warming forces us to think about sobriety in the water, between -10 and – 40%”, explains the Minister, convinced that this must “move our uses”. This plan should take care of “quantity and quality” : “how do we do with less” and with “only 44% of water bodies in France are in good ecological condition”, summarizes Christophe Béchu. It is also about “to speak of means, because there is no plan if there is no finance”he adds.
The government will announce “Thursday” its “water plan”, assures @ChristopheBechu.
It plans in particular to “fight against waste, leaks”, or “to authorize new uses” such as the use of “grey water” in the toilets, explains the minister. #le7930inter pic.twitter.com/0FOirHSGWa
– France Inter (@franceinter) March 27, 2023
According to Christophe Béchu, this plan should evoke “drilling regulations” and the fight against waste, so “that one in five liters of drinking water leaks”. “We are going to list the black spots and then look, very specifically, with the water agencies, at the plans that make it possible to stop having so many leaks”, he specifies. The Minister for the Ecological Transition also plans “to authorize new uses for wastewater, gray water” like water from the washing machine that could be used to replace drinking water in the toilets.
Christophe Béchu also expressed his concern about the drought. Last year, 700 municipalities lacked drinking water, according to the minister’s count, including “500 who were fed by cisterns or water bottles”. “The challenge is that we don’t find ourselves in the same situation this summer”, he continues. For this he promises to use “all levers” which he has for “learn the lessons of this episode of drought”.