According to a report by France Inter, 81,300 people in Metropolitan France depend on water supplied by tankers or bottled water for drinking, washing, or cooking, based on the latest report from the Ministry of Ecological Transition dated September 23. This number has increased by 17,300 residents compared to September 9, when 64,000 people were affected. Some regions have not seen rain since April, leading to severe water shortages. Among the 81,300 affected people are the 380 residents of Lemmes, Osches, and Vadelaincourt, three small towns in the Meuse department. In these areas, it is impossible to draw water from the dry groundwater aquifer, which is a natural underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or materials. As a result, water must be transported there by tankers, at a daily transportation cost of 700 euros, explains Hervé Corvisier, president of the water syndicate. "We fill the water tower and we can hold for about two days at the moment," says Hervé Corvisier. "If we do not resupply, there will be no water in these communes, there will be no water at the tap," he adds. He notes that since the beginning of April, there has been no precipitation, not even a thunderstorm, and this is unprecedented. In total, 1,280,000 French people live in areas under tension where the water network presents a real risk of rupture, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Additionally, 6,220,000 people live in areas where water networks show signs of fragility. According to the ministry, 78 departments are still at the highest level of crisis, highlighting the severity of the situation across the country.