Only expensively solvable. 
We had desalination plants in Turks & Caicos - nowhere near enough rain for the water needs of the population (and tourists), and no rivers at all.
Some of the big resorts (e.g. Beaches) have their own private plants.
Dont mention data centres
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Charente - just received this from our water company. Guess filling the pool is not on anymore.
| **ALERTE SECHERESSE :
| Restrictions des consommations d’eau** | |
|---|---|
|
|
|----|
Votre commune est actuellement placée en alerte sécheresse, décidée par arrêté préfectoral du 13/07/2026, jusqu’à nouvel ordre.
Afin de préserver les usages prioritaires de l’eau potable (santé, salubrité, sécurité civile) et éviter toute pénurie, certaines utilisations sont interdites :
-
Entre 08h et 20h, arroser les potagers, pelouses, massifs fleuris, jardins d’agrément, espaces verts, golfs particuliers
-
Entre 08h et 20h, arroser les terrains de sport. Arrosage limité à 2 fois par semaine
-
Laver des véhicules et engins nautiques pour les particuliers et professionnels
-
Nettoyer des façades, toitures, trottoirs, voiries et autres surfaces imperméabilisées
-
Remplir des piscines domestiques de + d’1 m3
-
Alimenter des fontaines publiques et privées d’ornements en circuit ouvert
En cas d’infraction, une amende de 1500€ pour les particuliers et 7500€ pour les professionnels peut être décidée.
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Depends how you interpret “remplir”. The fact that they give the pool depth to my mind does not mean a “top up” but filling the pool in its totality.
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It’s a volume rather than a depth, but yes I’m sure it means fill rather than top up. We have the same thing here. What always annoyed me about the published arrêté here is that all the prohibitions only mentioned ‘eau’. This year, I’m pleased that they now say ‘eau potable’ and so now I can be sure I can use my roof collected stored water as I please.
Edit: Just noticed the +d, but the 1m3 is a volume. Very confusing.
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It’s not clear if they’re saying “You can’t refill or top up a pool bigger than 1m3” or “You can’t add more than 1m3 of water”.
Well, if you can’t top up your pool, when the water falls below the level of the skimmers you are - to use a technical term - knackered, aren’t you?
Well there is a way out, fit a floating skimmer like the intex variety with the pipe into a vacuum port or skimmer.
I’ll have to take your word for that!
However nothing should be done to put some of the french from washing themselves, had to change queue in the shop the other day due to someone who has been saving water
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Oh yes that’s no fun.
I recall a happy four hour coach ride from Hurghada to Luxor in Egypt, in the malodorous company of a group of Bulgarian tourists, for whom the use of showers and deodorant was clearly an alien concept.
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I did that journey in the opposite direction, on a bicycle, in August - I was 20. Must have been mad.
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Well I think they may have turned up in LeClerc this morning, some right whiffers around I can tell you and not all men either!
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Apple Maps shows 181 miles driving, no bicycle route info. About 1.5 stages TDF ? Nice to be mad!
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I did it on a horrible bike I rented in Luxor, I was on the ‘normal’ road, got a lift from a quarry lorry and another from a bus full of little conscripts, I read them the newspaper out loud.
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As we’re in crise here, we’re in full water recovery mode to water the plants. We’ve been able to recover water from everything but the toilet. It makes you think about how much water things take. Washing machine 52l, dishwasher 11l, just bits and pieces in the sink add up in a day as well as water used to wash. Baths and showers are quite a bit as well. Recycling all our water should allow us to keep various things alive. Hopefully.
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Its made me think about diverting our waste water for the future. We still retain the bath so in goes the plug when showering and thats saved some plants.
About time the authorities fixed the leaks in the network.
That would help enormously
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