In Hérault, pool owners remain impervious to drought restrictions

2023-07-05 04:00:37
The swimming pool of Marc Coumans, 74, a retired biology teacher-researcher, is covered to limit the evaporation of its water. In Saint-Bauzille-de-Montmel (Hérault), June 23, 2023. SANDRA MEHL FOR “THE WORLD”

Marc Coumans has nothing to do with the retired lesson giver. In his beautiful property on the heights of Saint-Bauzille-de-Montmel (Hérault), the septuagenarian nevertheless wants to show off his photovoltaic panels, the Mediterranean plants left free in the garden or the channel dug to collect rainwater – evidence of sound “very ecological side”. It is that the former biology researcher surrendered guilty in June of an illegal act, and hardly environmental: he filled his swimming pool.

A few centimeters of water, to compensate for evaporation, prohibited by a prefectural decree which placed the town and the Vidourle basin, in the northeast of the department, in “crisis”. A threshold, the highest in terms of drought, which prohibits the addition of the slightest drop of water. “Losing your liner [membrane assurant l’étanchéité de la piscine] and let the remaining water rot for lack of filtration? Consuming an increasingly scarce resource for a non-vital activity? There is no good solution, even when you care about the situation beyond your little person”, justifies the Belgian, who had a house and swimming pool built in the 1990s.

Since a new decree, published on June 19, the people of Hérault can once again water their pools. The Saint-Bauzille-de-Montmel sector has gone down to “alert”, part of the department remains on “enhanced alert”. Two classifications authorizing the upgrade or the first filling of a new installation. But the brief passage of the zone in red proved the ineffectiveness of any restriction aimed at swimming pools, erected near the Mediterranean in ” right “ unalterable, ” myth ” untouchable or “economic obligation”. Whatever the bans, bathing does not seem to be able to suffer here from the climatic emergency.

“Crisis or no crisis, the water continued to flow normally, without drippingdistinguishes Françoise Matheron, the (socialist) mayor of Saint-Bauzille-de-Montmel. Even here, in the “land of thirst”, people will only be truly aware of the drought when they experience it in their flesh. » Making as many people as possible aware of the collective benefits of individual economies is, in principle, a challenge, but the mission becomes a challenge with the swimming pool. “They are there, in one in two homes and sometimes for a long timenotes the elected official. I can not prevent the filling, otherwise I stigmatize the owners. »