If part of the local population is understandable in the face of climate urgency, stressing the presence of lakes and rivers in the region, others criticize the measure. “”No one buys a house in the south without a swimming pool, it does not exist “reacts a Dutch tourist interviewed by TF1, owner of a second home in the region.
Restrictions across the country
The phenomenon is not limited to the south. In departments such as Gard, Hérault and the Pyrénées-Orientales, prefectural orders prohibit in summer the filling of private swimming pools, in order to avoid any waste of water. In Elne, near Perpignan, some municipalities even went further by prohibiting any new swimming pool construction.
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Even regions less used to droughts, like Brittany, begin to restrict the use of basins. In 42 municipalities, it is now forbidden to build private swimming pools over 25 m³, due to a persistent rainfall deficit and hydraulic areas.
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These measures make teeth cringe on the side of professionals in the sector, who are worried about the future of their activity. They recall that swimming pools are not systematically emptied each year, and that there are technical solutions to reduce their impact, in particular via water treatment or rainwater recovery. Alternatives that could be a way to explore to reconcile leisure and sobriety.
