Drought: Haute-Savoie on red alert, lower Arve in crisis

Facing a significant rainfall deficit, crisis level 4/4 is activated for the lower Arve, imposing water usage restrictions until October 31.

Generic image of drought in the Arve valley.
AI

Generic image of drought in the Arve valley.

Haute-Savoie is placed on red drought alert. The lower Arve sector reaches the maximum crisis level 4/4 starting October 1, 2026, imposing water usage restrictions until October 31.

The month of September, continuing the summer trend, was marked by a very significant rainfall deficit. Precipitation was almost absent, temperatures exceeded seasonal norms, and soil moisture remains very low. Consequently, the flow rates of the lower Arve have reached particularly low levels, with no significant improvement expected in the coming weeks.
Faced with this situation, the Prefecture of Haute-Savoie has activated crisis level 4 out of 4 for the lower Arve sector. These restriction measures are applicable until October 31, 2026.
At this crisis level, only priority water uses are authorized, notably those necessary for the population's drinking water supply, the survival of aquatic species, animal watering, civil security, public sanitation, and certain agricultural uses. These measures aim to preserve water resources in a context of particularly severe drought.
Residents are invited to strictly adhere to the current restrictions and limit their water consumption to essential uses. The City thanks the public for their vigilance and commitment.
The detailed prohibitions and restrictions can be consulted in prefectural order no. DDT-2026-1171 dated September 30, 2026.
Based on information from the official source: Mairie de La Roche-sur-Foron (01/10/2026)