More than a month after summer ended, drought continues to affect large parts of France, with the situation particularly serious in western Brittany and the Saint-Malo area. Rainfall has been insufficient, leaving only a limited amount of time before local water reserves could be exhausted.
The Beaufort reservoir, located around 30 kilometres inland, is one of three facilities supplying drinking water to approximately 180,000 people across 42 municipalities, including Saint-Malo. Its level is between 30 and 40 centimetres below normal, according to Jean-Francis Richeux, president of the Eau du pays de Saint-Malo water syndicate. Ille-et-Vilaine has been placed under the highest drought alert, alongside Brittany’s other departments.
Four heatwaves last summer caused water consumption to rise by as much as 25% on some days, draining reservoirs faster than usual. When the site was visited on October 29, Beaufort had an estimated 40 days of supply remaining. If substantial rain does not arrive by early December, the prefect could activate the Orsec emergency plan, which provides for drinking-water rationing and the suspension of certain economic activities.
Despite Brittany’s reputation for wet weather and its coastal location, the region cannot rely on groundwater. Its schist and granite geology means underground reserves are almost nonexistent. About 75% of the area’s drinking water is drawn from surface sources, including rivers and reservoirs, whose levels depend directly on rainfall.
The current crisis recalls the drought of 2022. Richeux says dry periods that once occurred every 10 to 15 years are now happening roughly every four years, with the interval continuing to shorten. He warns that two consecutive dry years could prevent reservoirs from being replenished before the following summer.
The water syndicate has been urging users to restrict consumption to essential needs such as eating, cooking and washing. It is also testing lower-flow systems in some housing developments and methods for treating wastewater so it could potentially be returned to reservoirs instead of being discharged into the sea.
Some residents have adopted strict conservation measures. Marie Déglepierre says her household limits use to 40 litres per person per day, collects cold water while waiting for the shower to warm up and uses a small timer to limit showering time. The water syndicate reports that consumption has fallen by 8% in recent days, suggesting that its campaign is having an effect.
However, several residents argue that the effort is not being shared fairly. Jean-Luc Villette has criticised the construction of a luxury hotel complex on the coast, replacing a former municipal campsite. The development is expected to include a hotel with thalassotherapy facilities and another four-star hotel with swimming pools. Villette and the residents’ group Autour des Nielles challenged the project in court, including before the Council of State, without success.
The Route du Rhum sailing race has also drawn scrutiny. Its starting village in Saint-Malo hosted 115 boats and attracted several hundred thousand visitors over 13 days. The event’s organisers said by email that they had promoted water conservation among visitors and informed exhibitors, restaurants and sailors, particularly about boat cleaning.
Brigitte Flahault of the local Saint-Malo environmental group considers those measures insufficient and suggests that future events could limit attendance according to available water resources. Her colleague Marco Buzzoni says water should be placed at the centre of all public decisions as the area considers how to remain a destination for visitors over the next decade.
The challenge is especially significant for Saint-Malo, where tourism accounts for 10% of jobs, according to France’s national statistics office, Insee. The region is therefore facing the difficult task of reconciling a water shortage intensified by drought with continued tourism and economic development.
Sources: RFI.