The crisis has become almost permanent. Drought is hitting France hard and renewable water resources are shrinking. In Saint-Marcel-de-Careiret, in the southern Gard region, the comings and goings of the tankers that supply the small town with water illustrate the emergency.
To save an increasingly precious resource, the government has launched its "water plan": a roadmap accompanied by massive investments to achieve specific targets.
For example, the plan calls for wastewater to be reused at a rate of 10 percent, compared with less than 1 percent today, and for urgent action to be taken to plug water leaks at the 170 most sensitive points in France.
On the ground, action is gradually getting under way. Treated water from the Saint-Drézéry wastewater treatment plant in the southern Hérault department is used to water the hedges and willows nearby.