Morbihan Under Severe Drought Alert Amid Water Restrictions
Morbihan faces a severe drought alert with strict water usage restrictions due to a 35% water deficit since January.
Key Points
- • Morbihan is under a drought alert as of July 17, 2025.
- • The region has experienced a 35% water deficit since the start of the year.
- • Specific areas like the Yvel basin are in a crisis state with heightened restrictions.
- • Restrictions include bans on irrigation, watering green spaces, and filling swimming pools.
As of July 17, 2025, Morbihan is facing a significant drought alert, with alarming water deficits reported across the region. This situation stems from a dramatic 35% reduction in water levels since the beginning of the year, impacting soil moisture and groundwater availability, and has led to various water usage restrictions.
Local authorities announced that the drought is particularly critical in the Yvel basin, where the situation has escalated to a state of crisis. Groundwater levels are critically low, and soil moisture is below normal thresholds, prompting urgent measures from the Water Resource Management Committee which met on July 16 to plan new restrictions.
Heightened regulations have been implemented across the entire Morbihan department, with specific sectors, particularly the Aff and Oust upstream areas, undergoing reinforced alerts. Crucial restrictions include bans on agricultural irrigation depending on the type of crops, limitations on water use for professional purposes, as well as stringent measures aimed at conserving water such as the prohibition on watering green spaces and filling swimming pools. In order to mitigate the crisis further, residents are allowed to water vegetable gardens and sports fields only during nighttime, from 8 PM to 8 AM.
The situation follows a downward trend observed in local river levels, which have fallen below the alert thresholds established by the prefectural drought framework since July 2023. Authorities stress the need for collective responsibility among residents regarding water use and encourage them to check local restrictions on the government’s water monitoring website. With forecasts predicting more sunny days with limited rainfall, the urgency for appropriate water management remains high as Morbihan grapples with these unprecedented challenges.