While drought threatens a large part of France this summer, all means are good to save water. Hunting down leaks becomes a real struggle. Especially when you know that the network is fragile in places, even downright dilapidated for some municipalities. Leaks cause very significant losses, especially since the renewal of pipes does not follow.

According to a UFC-Que Choisir survey, revealed on Tuesday June 27, one liter in five is thus lost: “This represents 1 billion m3 per year, equivalent to the cumulative consumption of the agglomerations of Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Nice. »

The scourge of water leaks is nationwide, but some municipalities are worse off than others. The Grenelle de l’Environnement (2012) authorizes a maximum of 12% of losses linked to leaks. But Évreux (35.5%), Aix-les-Bains (30.5%), Cavaillon (30.3%), Amiens (30.3%) and Sens (30%) explode this ceiling. This represents one in three liters.

In rural areas, the text allows more latitude. This allows up to 35% leakage. But almost a quarter of municipalities with less than 1,000 inhabitants fail to respect this limit and lose one liter in two.

However, everything does not seem so inextricable, since “many agglomerations show that it is possible” to control leaks, underlines the survey. The cities of Cholet (0%), Saint-Malo (0.9%), Saint-Brieuc (1.3%) and Fréjus (2.1%) are cited as examples.

“If we add the amounts that agriculture would have to pay for the pollution for which it is responsible, this represents a considerable funding shortfall for the agencies of the order of 1.6 billion euros per year”, estimates the ‘UFC-What to choose.

“As part of the Water Plan, the President of the Republic did raise the subject of leaks, but to propose derisory measures. While experts demand 2.5 to 3 billion annually, the president announced 180 million, supplemented by an increase in royalties paid largely by consumers and targeted at the smallest municipalities… in short, a drop of water! ” again underlines the association.

Finally, technical support from departments to small municipalities should be developed. The assistance of the State services in terms of engineering (knowledge of the state of the networks, project management, etc.) was abolished in 2016, leaving the smallest municipalities destitute, deplores the survey.