The hydrological situation is improving in the Pyrénées-Orientales, thanks to recent rains and water savings, the prefecture said on Tuesday, which nevertheless maintains most of the restrictions in this department, which has been plagued for several months by exceptional drought. “Today, the situation is better oriented than at the beginning of May”, explained the prefect of the Pyrénées-Orientales, Rodrigue Furcy.
Thanks to the rains that fell on the mountains, the Vinça dam, the main water reservoir upstream of the Roussillon plain, went “from 11 million m3 to 24 million m3” of water, i.e. almost its maximum capacity, he specified. As for the Bouillouses dam, a little higher in the mountains, it is “filling up”.
Restrictions maintained on almost the entire department
The State representative explained that the improvement was also due to the water savings made by the farmers. “We have secured 15 million m3”, he said, adding that the overall consumption of drinking water had fallen further in May “between – 25 and – 35%”. A third dam, that of Caramany, is however still at an “insufficient” level. However, despite this good news on the Catalan front, the water tables remain at a “very low” level because the rain has fallen little in the plain.
The prefecture has maintained water restrictions on almost the entire department, with the exception of Cerdanya, a territory located in the western massifs of the Pyrénées-Orientales and which is back on “simple alert” in the face of drought. . Most of the department remains at the highest level of alert, that known as “crisis”, and 26 municipalities are on alert on drinking water. We must continue “to make efforts”, said the prefect.