The préfectures of the Alpes-Maritimes and Var announced tightened water restrictions across 90 communes on Friday, describing months of deteriorating drought conditions as "alarming" in an official statement.
The Alpes-Maritimes préfecture said the meteorological and hydrological situation had been alarming for several months, with a rainfall deficit of nearly 15.5% since September 2025 and 81% of monitored groundwater tables sitting below normal levels.
Given the coming days' forecast, the préfecture opted to toughen its stance further. Forty-three communes in the department saw their restrictions escalate under the new order, with measures ranging from daytime irrigation bans and swimming pool filling restrictions to, in the most severe zones classified as being in crisis, total bans on non-essential water use.
In the Var, 77 additional communes moved into alert status, including the Draguignan and Brignoles basins, bringing the department's total to 78. Authorities said the restrictions were designed primarily to secure drinking water supplies and preserve firefighting capacity, with a wildfire still active near Pontevès at the time of the announcement.