Nature’s tease, it looks close but actually the rain is falling in the next country.
Rain , or rather the lack of it , is a pressing issue in this corner of France ; as well as other areas of the world ; but they haven't yet impinged on our daily lives. We are in a RED zone for water restrictions , with no other severity of restriction left …apart from actually cutting it off. Three local rural villages have recently had to endure that, after their local supplies dried up , and whilst waiting for new pipelines .
For us it is a bit surreal , as the impact has so far been minor for most ; apart that is for the agriculturers . I know we are not allowed to top up our swimming pools , but the pool police seem to be otherwise engaged . Oh, and that top up rule only applies to private pools ; the enormous campsite water guzzlers are exempt; you can also FILL a newly constructed pool. It is difficult to take in the seriousness of the drought rules with those sort of exemptions.
But , we are taking it seriously . Last year two heavily armed cops turned up to inspect that our solar panel installation complied with the rules …it is on the roof ? …; then maybe if their attention turned to drought rules we ought to be seen to comply ; especially as we are part of the non-french community i.e. immigrants , in a national front stronghold. For the pool , first step is to conserve what we have . So the cover only comes off for a few hours a day to permit swimming . The cover prevents water loss through evaporation . Then we upgraded that cover from transparent to black bubble wrap , to keep out the sun light thus reducing algae growth; which in turn substantially reduces water loss through frequent backwashing of the sand filters . To provide water for top up, we have fitted water butts piped into the pool . The posh name “ rain water harvesting “ ; but of course this only works if it rains.
So back to that rare commodity , rain . “ In detail, only 131 mm of water fell in Perpignan in just over six months against 405 mm on average, the equivalent of the driest year ever recorded in the Catalan city since 1974-75 with 130.7 mm , for this weather station created in 1925.” I suppose that means the equally driest period on record. Now ,the population in the region has over doubled , and I expect with the vibrancy of the holiday trade , summer demand risen exponentially . So is the drought taken seriously ? Ah yes those restrictions .
You will see that most bans on the use of water have get outs .It would seem that there is no drought between 20.00hours and midnight . There is going to be a lot of evening water activity . I suppose the drought police will be working nights from now on . Still it shows intent , especially coupled with intensive advertising . Ah well, I visited the local tourist office and a municipal building only to be referred to go to the town hall. There weren’t even any posters inside exhorting conservation , or even on any of the bill boards around the town. Apparently all arriving tourists, who swell the population 10 fold, will some how know .
Perpignan council did announce that they would use recycled water for washing pavements . Nice and Cannes both announced the intention to introduce recycling , of sewage effluent ; but this firstly needed central government approval . Bureaucracy gone mad? Shouldn’t they by now just have set standards so the locals just get on with it. Nearly 30 years ago ( crikey! really that long ago ), I obtained Board approval for the urgent installation of treatment and use of sewage effluent to augment supplies to a raw water reservoir in Essex, (in which it would be substantially diluted before abstraction and further water treatment ). After a dry winter , and faced with the potential of running out of resources , it was quickly voted through , with the enthusiastic support of the Rivers Authority. There was no public backlash , or comment .
So just slightly smug , I use our very own personal recycled sewage to keep our plants alive . Treatment of septic tank effluent by reed beds , sand filter and chlorination. Just as well, as with no mains water we are on our own with well and borehole , the output of which have been steadily declining for the past 10 years plus. For us climate change has a personal dimension . This year it has also meant that the potage has been left largely uncultivated ; I cannot guarantee enough recycled water , preferring to keep expensive plants alive.
Two weeks ago I was woken by a truly marvellous event , our very own thunderstorm complete with copious rain fall . We , agriculturers and the firemen breathed sigh of relief . Already this year there have been 6 ( now 7 ) near-by forest fires . It may be spectacular watching the water bombing planes swooping above us ; but all the timing hoping that they will soon contain that fire . I had already brushed off our fire precautions : fire pump to put in the pool , and sprinklers around the house. However these have a fundamental weakness : personal presence to at least get them going . I suppose I will have to consider automatic pop up sprinklers with pumps and valves operated by télécommande .
Next day , with wet woods , a crispness in the air, I set off for a walk with little risk of being cut off by a new combustion . What an uplifting pleasure , nature and me both clean and relaxed . However our mountain streams were still dry, emphasising the moisture deficit. I crossed the River Massane which was still flowing , apparently the higher hills on the Spanish border had heavier rain . Spain itself even more , together with a local hail storm that necessitated a JCB to clear the roads. That does seem to be our story : “ the rain in Spain ..” is staying on their plain. Yesterday an enormous thunder cloud built up , but its height deceived its location ; yet again it rained in Spain .
This evening, again the rain clouds drifted south . So to compensate for yet another rainless disappointment , I immersed myself in our own water , the pool temperature, with all that covering, had reached 30C ; and its only the beginning of June . I suppose if this drought persists , I can open it up as a communal bath for all those unwashed tourists. ;….or maybe not . I could not bring myself to spoil its’ pristine water. We have to protect our own , which may prove irreplaceable .
