Two different situations
These are often confused, though they call for different responses.
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Water outage | No water comes out of the tap at all. You need to fall back entirely on your water reserve or an external distribution. |
| Non-potable water | Water flows normally, but a prefectural order forbids certain uses due to a health risk (bacteriological, chemical, or linked to a natural disaster). |
What remains possible, what's forbidden
During a recent episode in Gironde, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Health Agency specified that water must not be used for:
- Consumption (drinking).
- Preparing and cooking food.
- Brushing teeth.
- Washing infants.
Bottle distribution
When a restriction affects a municipality, the water distributor and the town hall jointly organise bottled water distribution points, most often at a rate of one bottle per person per day, to cover uses that have become forbidden. Information is usually circulated by the town hall, its social media, and sometimes by text message or automated call depending on the municipality.
Who decides, and who notifies
It's the prefect who issues the order, on the proposal of the Regional Health Agency (ARS), which oversees compliance analyses with the water distributor. A new order lifts the restriction as soon as results return to compliance with health regulations.
Mistakes to avoid
- Boiling the water thinking it solves everything. This eliminates certain bacteriological risks, but not chemical pollution: follow the official instruction, not a generic solution.
- Ignoring the order because "the water looks normal". Non-potable water often has no particular smell or colour.
- Waiting for the outage to build a reserve. See our guide on the water reserve.
- Forgetting infants and bottles, which are among the uses most often forbidden first.
The map of water points around your home
In addition to official distribution, LASTLINE can show you:
- a map of water points located around your home;
- your remaining self-sufficiency, calculated from your registered reserve.
LASTLINE doesn't receive prefectural orders live: follow the official channels of your town hall and the ARS for regulatory information.
See water points with LASTLINEFrequently asked questions
What's the difference between a water outage and non-potable water?
A water outage means there's no water at all from the tap. Water declared non-potable, on the other hand, still flows but poses a health risk if drunk or used for cooking: it often remains usable for other purposes, by decision of the prefect and the ARS.
Can you shower with water declared non-potable?
The prefectural orders consulted explicitly forbid consumption, cooking food, brushing teeth and washing infants. They generally don't mention showering or washing dishes as forbidden, but the precise instructions vary depending on the nature of the contamination: always follow the order and the guidance from your town hall or the ARS.
Who decides that water is non-potable?
The prefect, on the proposal of the Regional Health Agency (ARS), which oversees compliance analyses with the water distributor. A prefectural order governs the ban and its lifting, as soon as results return to compliance.
How is bottled water distribution organised?
The water distributor and the affected town halls jointly organise distribution points, generally at a rate of one bottle per person per day, until the incident is resolved.
Sources
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Health Agency, Storms in Gironde: consequences on drinking water consumption, 17/02/2026.
The exact uses allowed or forbidden depend on each prefectural order and the nature of the contamination: this example illustrates a real situation but doesn't replace the order applicable to your municipality.