Drought in Île-de-France: call for prudent use of water in the face of a flow rate in the Seine at its lowest since 1990

The State called on Friday for “sober use” of water in Île-de-France in the face of “persistent” drought and a flow of the Seine at its lowest since 1990, which the reservoir lakes are struggling to compensate for. As throughout the national territory, the hydrological situation in Île-de-France “remains tense” after a “particularly hot and dry” spring and summer, recalls the prefecture of the Île-de-France region in a press release.

While it has “almost not rained” in recent weeks, “the weather forecasts predict weather that will probably be hotter and drier than normal in the coming months,” she worries, stressing that this weather “affects the water level of the rivers.” On September 22 in Paris, the Seine was 80 days below the flow rate which constitutes the drought alert threshold, set at 81 cubic meters of water per second (81 m3/s). The lowest flow rate recorded since 1990 was reached last July, at 62 m3/s.

“Lack of water”

The support of the Seine Grands Lacs reservoir lakes (Der, Orient, Amance-Temple and Pannecière lakes), which store water in winter and keep the Seine and Marne afloat, “is not enough to compensate for the current lack of water in natural environments,” explains the prefecture. Other rivers in the Ile-de-France region, including the Oise and the Yerres, which do not benefit from the contribution of the large lakes, are also experiencing a “very degraded” situation.

Faced with this “exceptional” drought, the regional prefect calls on individuals, communities and businesses to “control their water consumption and adopt eco-gestures”. It encourages the sustainable adaptation of these practices by developing “the recovery of roof water, the recycling of industrial water, the planting of varieties more resistant to lack of water or the development of more economical irrigation techniques.”