Take the lead to avoid a “water war”. While a historic drought is looming for this summer with water tables at their lowest, municipalities are mobilizing for a better distribution of the essential resource. The Minister of the Environment will unveil his “water plan” this Thursday, but territories have not waited for state measures to experiment with solutions.
Indeed, faced with a scarcity of the resource, conflicts around water are intensifying, like that around the mega-basins of Sainte-Soline in Deux-Sèvres which opposes farmers and local residents and ecologists. Already last summer, conflicts around the resource had erupted everywhere in France: golf courses, swimming pools, reservoirs for recreational use… had been targeted. To avoid these conflicts and better preserve the resource, elected officials have already taken measures.
1. The end of building permits
A radical choice: nine municipalities in the country of Fayence, in the Var, have decided not to authorize any more, or almost, new constructions. “It’s a difficult decision that we do not take lightly,” said François Cavallier, mayor of Callian, one of the municipalities concerned. “But it is inconceivable for us to bring in new inhabitants by telling them that there is no more water at the tap”, adds the city councilor.
The elected officials of the community of municipalities, which have 31,000 inhabitants, have therefore collectively decided “to limit population growth over the next 5 years to 0.5%”, underlines François Cavallier. “A situation of quasi-freezing of building permits”, hammers the city councilor.
“This is a historic decision which highlights the fact that without water, construction is no longer possible”, underlines Emma Haziza, hydrologist. Moreover, the State itself has taken comparable decisions as in Ardèche where the prefect has prohibited the issuance of building permits in 22 municipalities. The decision is temporary, however nuance Thierry Devimeux, prefect of the Ardèche.
But these decisions are also subject to litigation. The law is not clear enough: “On the one hand, we have the Alur law which is pushing for urban planning pressure and, on the other, insufficient resources which no longer allow us to welcome new inhabitants”, specifies François Cavallier. “Jurisprudence will have to decide”, explains Arnaud Gossement, lawyer in environmental law.
2. The ban on building swimming pools
Other mayors have made similar decisions. Thus, Gérardmer (Vosges) has decided to no longer authorize building permits at an altitude of more than 700 m, just above the famous Gerardmer lake located at 650 m. In fact, last summer, the most popular tourist resort in the massif had been the victim of drought and overcrowding, to the point of finding itself in shortage of drinking water at the beginning of August. She must have gotten her supplies from the lake. The “pearl of the Vosges” has also decided to no longer authorize the construction of new swimming pools.
Faced with the water deficit in the Pyrénées-Orientales, the mayor of Elne also banned any construction of swimming pools and any new drilling in the water table by individuals connected to the network. The municipal decree runs from March 7 until at least April 30. Mayor (PC) Nicolas Garcia believes that “it is necessary to do everything possible to save resources and make an impression. It is vital ! “, protests the chosen one on his blog.
3. Progressive pricing
Same problem in Montpellier but a different solution has been deployed. Since the beginning of 2023, the city has chosen to test progressive water pricing. In other words, beyond a certain quantity of water consumed, the price per cubic meter of water increases. The goal is obviously to encourage residents to reduce their water consumption.
Concretely, in the 14 municipalities of the metropolitan area of Montpellier, individuals receive 15 cubic meters of water free of charge per year. Then, the tariff is progressive. Thus up to 120 additional cubic meters, the price is 95 euro cents per cubic meter then from 120 cubic meters to 240 cubic meters, the cost is 1.40 euro, and beyond 240 cubic meters it is 2.60 euros per cubic meter.
???? The Metropolis has chosen to offer eco-solidarity pricing to fight once morest waste
???? Subscribers of the @RegiedeseauxM3M with an individual meter benefit from progressive pricing of their water consumption with the first 15 m3 free pic.twitter.com/TiVHnAU3mx— Montpellier3m (@Montpellier3m) January 6, 2023
The aim is thus to discourage the biggest consumers of water and to encourage users to be more sober. Pool owners are also clearly in the line of fire. Conversely, the metropolis ensures that the most modest households and the least water consumers will see their bills decrease. “Solidarity water aid will be paid for households with the lowest incomes from the fall of 2023”, announces the management.
4. Wastewater reuse
In Vendée, the Vendée peninsula of Noirmoutier was a pioneer in the reuse of its wastewater. For 40 years, this recycled water has been distributed free of charge to farmers. “Thanks to this, farmers no longer consume a third of the island’s drinking water as before,” says Nicolas Paille, head of the cooperative.
In France, less than 1% of treated wastewater is reused. “It’s ten times more in Italy, twenty times more in Spain, a hundred times more in Israel! », regularly reminds the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, who is mobilizing to deploy this solution.
Today in France, treated wastewater is mainly discharged into nature. In fact, local authorities had not really needed it until now. The situation is changing, but the reuse of wastewater, (“réut”, in the jargon of professionals), is still very supervised and costly.
The “réut” is profitable if it replaces drinking water, as in Noirmoutier. But for farmers who take water from the natural environment, the “reut” is much more expensive. Moreover, it is not a miracle solution because the water discharged by treatment plants is also essential to supply the waterways and allow downstream uses.
5. The fight once morest leakage
Since water has become scarce, numerous leaks in the drinking water distribution network have been singled out. Against this waste, the city of Valence has been mobilizing for a long time. This town in the Drôme has therefore chosen to renew its pipes regularly, without waiting for leaks to do so. It has also installed water sensors to detect leaks as quickly as possible and locate them precisely so that they can be repaired without delay.
As a result, the city can boast of one of the lowest leak rates in France, 15% once morest 20% on average in France. This rate is obviously much higher in rural communities where kilometers of pipelines are needed to supply homes.
As water becomes increasingly scarce with global warming, municipalities will have to find solutions. The 117 municipalities that had to transport drinking water by tanker last summer are hard at work. Just like the State which will finally present its water plan this Thursday. Unless other priorities once once more push the management of the precious resource into the background.
