J'arrose ? Guides

Guides to water wisely

Wells, boreholes, rivers: do water restrictions apply?

Published on November 10, 2026

"The water in my well is mine, I can water whenever I like." It is a common belief, but a wrong one during a drought: a well or a borehole draws from the same aquifers that feed rivers, and sometimes the tap. Water restrictions therefore also apply to this water.

The short answer: yes, the same rules

The national drought guide is clear: restriction measures for households cover water taken from the natural environment (aquifers, rivers) just as much as tap water. If watering the vegetable garden is banned from 9 am to 8 pm, it is also banned with water from your well.

The hours for each level are detailed in the guide Understanding restriction levels.

Which level applies to your water

The prefect sets levels by alert zone, and these zones differ depending on where the water comes from:

  • Well or borehole: as a rule, the level of the groundwater zone is the one that counts.
  • Pump in a river, a canal or a pond fed by a stream: the level of the surface water zone.
  • Well close to a river: it often draws from the aquifer that feeds the river (its "accompanying aquifer", nappe d'accompagnement). Many decrees then treat it like water taken from the river. In Loire-Atlantique, for example, without more precise knowledge of the ground, this aquifer extends 100 m on either side of the river. The rule varies from one département to another: it is set by your département's framework decree.

Some départements publish no groundwater zone at all: the decree then states which rules apply to a well.

The level of a groundwater or surface water zone can differ from the tap water level, either stricter or lighter.

Exemptions

  • A disconnected reservoir: a watertight pond, filled in winter and with no link to a river or an aquifer, is exempt from restrictions according to the national guide. The framework decree states which ponds are connected or not, and it is up to you to prove the disconnection if checked.
  • Collected rainwater, for example in a water butt or tank, is not covered by restrictions according to the national guide. Still check the decree for your area: some only partly exempt rainwater (see the guide Collecting rainwater).

What a well owner must do

  • Declare it to the town hall. Every well or borehole for domestic use (less than 1,000 m³ drawn per year) must be declared to the mayor. For a new one, the declaration is made at least one month before the works, online on DUPLOS (mandatory beyond 10 m deep) or on a paper form sent to the town hall; the end of the works is declared afterwards.
  • Have the water tested if it waters the vegetable garden. Service-public.fr lists watering vegetable gardens among the uses that require the water to be tested by an approved laboratory, like drinking or cooking.
  • Never connect the well to plumbing linked to the public network. Well water could flow back into the network and contaminate it. The water service can check that there is no connection and, if there is a risk, require protective measures or even shut off the supply.

Breaking a restriction decree carries the same penalties as with tap water: a fine of up to €1,500 for each offence recorded.

In practice

  1. Find out where your water comes from: deep aquifer, well near a river, pump in a stream…
  2. Search for your commune on J'arrose ? and read the "Do you have a well or a borehole?" section. It gives the level of the groundwater and surface water zones. When several zones cover the commune, it shows the highest one: it may be lower at your address. If this section does not appear, no groundwater or surface water zone is published for your commune.
  3. Read the decree if in doubt: it details the zones and what is allowed at each level.

Even when watering is still allowed, mulching and ollas let you water less and spare the aquifer.

Sources (in French)