Drought: the situation of groundwater in France still remains “very worrying”

The situation of groundwater in France remains “very worrying” at the end of October, despite the return of episodes of sometimes intense rain last month, the Geological and Mining Research Bureau (BRGM) announced on Monday.

“Although there has been a return of rain in the territory for the month of October, the water table situation remains mainly degraded (...) with the exception of the south and the south-east,” indicates the national geological service, in its monthly bulletin. As of November 1, 64% of water table observation points are below normal, compared to 66% a month ago, indicates the BRGM, which describes the situation as still “very worrying” in “many sectors of the territory where the usual trend at this period is the beginning of recharge”.

However, unlike previous months marked by significant rain deficits, October was a month “consistent with normal” in terms of rainfall, Météo-France indicated last week. Several Mediterranean episodes with intense rains even occurred in the southern part of the country. But following this, groundwater recharge has only started at 27% of observation points, while 55% of them continue to see their level drop.

“We are on the verge of breaking” in water

This situation is much worse than last year at the same time, when only 32% of the water tables were below normal. At the end of October 2026, the level of groundwater, the main reserves of drinking water in France, is particularly “very low for the aquifers of the Breton base, Limousin, Champagne chalk, Jura limestone, Vosges sandstone and Triassic limestone of Lorraine,” reports the BRGM.

At the end of October, several elected officials and prefectures in Brittany, which has been experiencing one of the worst droughts in its history since this summer, sounded the alarm in the face of this “increasingly critical” situation. “We are on the verge of breaking” in water, warned the mayor (DVD) of Brest Stéphane Roudaut.

The BRGM warns that forecasts for the coming weeks or months remain largely uncertain at this stage. Any improvement in the water table level “will depend on the return of precipitation”. This could occur in November, but “uncertainties exist regarding the distribution and effectiveness” of this rain, and therefore on the levels of groundwater recharge this fall and winter.