In France, many departments are facing an increasing drought. In Puy-de-Dôme (central France), around forty municipalities are now affected by water restriction measures. This is particularly the case in the town of Volvic where the Danone group draws and bottles its famous mineral water. In the Pyrénées-Orientales, the sale of above-ground swimming pools will be prohibited from next week. In these two cases, the question of the equitable sharing of the resource is posed.
In Puy-de-Dôme, among the measures imposed by the prefecture, there is a ban on washing your car, watering your garden between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. or filling your swimming pool. For industrial activities, the order has been given to reduce water consumption by 25%. However, the Volvic water company, signatory of an agreement with the prefecture, is not affected by these restrictions. A situation denounced by the local association Eau bien commun 63. René Boyer, spokesperson for the association, is moved: “ Volvic draws water for bottling in a deep water table, excluded from the prefectural drought decree. Since 2021, it has signed a plan for the rational use of water (Pure). »
In exchange for saving water all year round, Volvic is therefore not affected by water restrictions. Evoking its strong attachment to the territory, the company nevertheless undertakes to reduce its levies by 5% over the entire duration of the decree. It’s a façade for René Boyer: Volvic “ is based on taking the figures in relation to the authorization they have, and not in relation to the direct debits they make. If we base ourselves on their samples, indeed the minus 5%, it does not change anything for them “. On the side of the prefecture, we underline the preventive aspect of the decree issued this week and we highlight the virtuous aspect of the plans for the rational use of water.
More above-ground pools in the Pyrénées-Orientales
From May 10, it will no longer be possible to buy above-ground swimming pools (inflatable pool type) in the Pyrénées-Orientales (Occitanie). A decision announced by the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, Friday May 5 on RTL radio, in a context of exceptional drought in the department. Additional measures must be announced to respond to a ” crisis situation “.
However, for Raphaël Pradeau, activist and former spokesperson for Attac France (Association for the taxation of financial transactions and for citizen action), the decision poses a real problem of social justice: “ I admit I was surprised because I think it poses a problem of social justice. We know from several studies that it is the rich who consume a lot of water. And there, the minister announces a measure that seems to point the finger at the people who precisely cannot buy an inground pool. The people who buy inflatable pools are people who are more modest and who cannot afford to buy an in-ground pool. »
” So I’m still very surprisedcontinues this militant of Attac, to see that above-ground swimming pools are prohibited and at the same time, we are not preventing the construction of inground pools, that at the same time, we can continue to water golf courses. We saw the debate – especially in Saint-Soline – because at the same time, we are going to ban mega-pools, even big, big above-ground pools. There, we suddenly see that the measure which is announced seems to stigmatize the poorest and not to attack other equally problematic uses of water, intensive agriculture does not seem concerned by these measures. “.
►Read also : Environment: water in France massively contaminated by chlorothalonil metabolites