France's Loire and Ille-et-Vilaine Departments Enforce Drought Restrictions

In the Loire department of central France, the prefect issued a new decree on 29 June 2026 raising the Fleuve Loire Amont and Aix zones to “alert” status after earlier alerts on several watercourses. The order limits garden and lawn watering to 10 a.m.–6 p.m., bans private car‑washing outside professional stations, forbids filling private pools and reduces industrial water withdrawals by 25 % except for essential processes.

In Ille‑et‑Vilaine, the prefecture placed the department under a drought alert on 26 June 2026. The decree, based on the national drought‑risk framework, restricts agricultural irrigation, watering of gardens, sports fields, golf courses and horse‑tracks, limits pool filling and requires vehicle‑wash stations to display the restrictions. Violations can incur a fifth‑class fine.

Both measures respond to a prolonged heat wave, rapidly falling river flows, depleted reservoirs and forecasts of no significant rainfall for the next two weeks, aiming to protect aquatic ecosystems and ensure drinking‑water supplies.