“It’s anything but ideology”: faced with droughts, the multiplication of private pools called into question

In 2022 and 2023, France suffered from a historic drought. Furthermore, And. Consequently, in early July 2025, barely in the summer, the government was worried about an “already worrying” situation by the voice of the Minister of Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher. Nevertheless, Under the effect of climate change due to human activities. Similarly, without radical change in water management, “the 2022 crisis could become the norm”, for its part, warned the High Commission for Strategy and Plan.

“The largest park of European buried swimming pools” – "it's anything but ideology": faced

For some cities. Moreover, sobriety in water requires the questioning of private swimming pools. Meanwhile, According to the Federation of Pool and SPA Professionals (FPP), their number was quintuplely between 1999 and 2024 to reach 3.6 million, concentrated mainly in the southern regions. For example, “France even has the largest park of European buried swimming pools (1.73 million) and the 3rd “it’s anything but ideology”: faced in the world, just after the United States and Brazil,” she said. Furthermore, Their size has, however, decreased – 29 m² on average since 2019 – like the land around houses.

However, in municipalities struck by a lack of chronic water, it remains too much. Moreover, As early as January 2023. the country of Fayence, in the Var, made a radical decision, with the frost of building permits for five years, including swimming pools. The Council of the Community of Communes explained this measure by “a very tense situation with a risk of. water shortage”.

In Rennes. we tighten the screw

At the other end of France, in a region less associated with drought, the 43 municipalities of Rennes Métropole took the side in June to limit the size of the swimming pools to 25 m3, or approximately 3 x 6 m, and to make “compulsory a coverage system” to limit evaporation. Pools “it’s anything but ideology”: faced that will also have to be equipped with a rainwater recovery system with filtration for water upgrade. “This measurement is part of a much more global approach to reducing greenhouse gases. preservation of natural water resources”, while fighting against the waterproofing of soils. “The challenge is to adapt to a new reality. This is anything but ideology. ”insists the community, while the department of Ille-et-Vilaine was placed, in mid-July, in dryness alert, with restrictions on water consumption.

“I do not understand the measure of 25 m3. ” reacts Gaël David, leader of the Pool 35 group, installed in Ille-et-Vilaine and concerned by the decision of Rennes Métropole. For the entrepreneur. who has already planned to reduce the number of his employees dedicated to the construction of swimming pools, with this measure, “people will take on ground pools, which are not covered”.

Over the years. pool size has largely decreased

“Limit evaporation”

For the FPP, “it’s anything but ideology”: faced the search for water savings does not justify attacking private swimming pools. “Over the years, swimming pool size has largely decreased,” said Joëlle Pulinx, general delegate. “Each year, a swimming pool will use an average of 7 m3”, once it has been filled, “she said. The equivalent of 47 days of drinking water consumption by a Frenchman. “If we put a pool cover. we will limit evaporation to 95 %”, continues Joëlle Pulinx, who insists on the “conviviality” of private pools.

The only existing encrypted data on the water consumption of private swimming pools are those of the FPP. “To date. the statistical data and studies service has no data on the swimming pools and the volumes of water they represent,” says Bercy’s press office.

“Only collective involvement will preserve essential uses: health. civil security, supply of drinking water and animal watering” in the event of drought, concludes the ministry.