The ongoing drought in Brittany is making it increasingly difficult to access water as autumn begins. Four departments in the region have been under drought decree since August, and these restrictions will remain in place until November 15 unless there is significant rainfall to increase water levels in rivers and streams. Water consumption reductions are not uniform across the region; each department's prefect has authority to determine the extent of restrictions based on local conditions. Installations classified under the ICPE (classified installations for the environment) regulation must reduce their water usage by 25%. Clothilde d'Argentré, who oversees environmental matters for the Breton association of food companies (ABEA), explains that this reduction primarily affects secondary transformation units, such as food processing plants. Primary transformation units, like slaughterhouses and dairies, often receive exemptions because they are considered to be in high flow and deal with perishable goods. However, some of these units still have to reduce their water use, sometimes by 15 to 20%. For example, in the dairy industry, Alain Le Boulanger, a regional delegate for the FNIL-Ouest (a group representing private industrialists in Brittany, Normandy, and Pays de la Loire), notes that even though some units are in high flow, they cannot be exempted. The 25% reduction in water has forced many agro-food plants to alter their operations. Clothilde d'Argentré mentions that some secondary transformation companies have shifted to a four-day workweek or reduced the number of temporary workers. Some plants have also slowed down production in anticipation of the drought decree being lifted. In the dairy sector, for instance, milk is still being processed, but some volumes have been redirected between plants to manage the water shortage. To avoid changing products on the same production line—requiring a washing and rinsing phase—industrialists have made trade-offs in their production schedules. Despite these efforts, some companies feel their water conservation measures have not been recognized. A manufacturer of ready meals in the Côtes-d'Armor department described the 25% reduction as a punitive measure, noting that their own efforts to cut water use have not been acknowledged. The drought decree in Côtes-d'Armor compares current water use to the same period in the previous year, which has left some companies feeling overlooked. Bernard Jarnoux Crêpier, a crêpe producer in Lamballe, has reduced its water consumption by 24% per kilo of crêpes since 2022, but this has not influenced the restrictions. To cope, the company has reduced its production by 30 to 35% and encouraged some employees not to come to work, relying on existing stock to meet customer demands. Looking ahead, dairy producers are exploring ways to reuse water. Alain Le Boulanger highlights the REUSE decree, adopted in 2024, which encourages the reuse of treated wastewater. If all dairy plants invested in such systems, it could potentially save 11 million cubic meters of water annually. Currently, the dairy industry in France uses 70 million cubic meters of water, or 20% of the total withdrawals in the agro-food sector. While this has decreased by 20% since 2010, French dairy producers are still lagging behind their European counterparts, where similar regulations have been in place for longer. Arnaud Cousin from Bernard Jarnoux Crêpier hopes that public authorities will create a detailed report on the current situation to guide future water management strategies.