Orange with Media Services, published on Friday, August 12, 2022 at 12:00 p.m.
At a time when the entire French territory is facing a drought, the Federation of Swimming Pool Professionals (FFP) ensures that private pools have a very low impact” on water use. “All swimming pools represent only 0.12% of France’s annual water consumption”, argues the union.
The pools are becoming increasingly popular. France has approximately 3.2 million private swimming pools including 1.55 million in-ground swimming pools and 1.64 million above-ground swimming pools, according to the latest figures from the FPP published in April, reaffirming France’s position as a European leader in the construction of pools.
In 2021, the park increased by 244,000 swimming pools and the turnover of swimming pool specialists jumped by 32% over one year, “thanks to the ‘booster’ effect of the Covid and favorable weather”, indicates to AFP Joëlle Pulinx Challet, general delegate of the FPP, which brings together more than 1,400 French companies specializing in swimming pools and spas. In 30 years, the size of the pools has increased from more than 70 m3 to 43m3 she points out, and the average price is currently 24,000 euros depending on the level of equipment and the regions.
Democratized private swimming pools
The private swimming pool market has been “democratized” in recent years, FPP president Stéphane Figueroa said in April. According to a survey conducted by the firm Decryptis in February and March 2022 on behalf of the FPP with a sample of 18,000 households living in a single-family house, the share of workers, farmers and employees owning an in-ground swimming pool would have jumped of “10% in four years”, going from 14.1% of swimming pool owners in 2017 to 24.7% in 2021.
That of entrepreneurs and executives has, for its part, remained “stable” in recent years, at 41.6% in 2021, according to the Decryptis study. On the other hand, theRetirees are now “less represented” among owners in-ground swimming pools at home: they were 33.7% in 2021 compared to 40.1% in 2017.
At a time when France is facing a historic drought, “the water use of a swimming pool represents an average of 15m3 per year, or as much as to produce 1kg of beef”, defends Joëlle Pulinx Challet, who adds: “In 25 years, it has even been reduced by 45%”.
“0.12% of France’s annual water consumption”
The CEO attributes this drop to the fact that “customers no longer empty their swimming pools completely, every year, as in the past“, but also to “the use of covers to prevent evaporation” or even “the establishment of tanks to collect water”.
“All the swimming pools represent only 0.12% of the annual water consumption of France”, she argues again, referring to ” a very low impact” of swimming pools on water use in the country. Heating systems have also seen their consumption decrease, by a factor of almost 10 in 35 years, according to estimates. These systems consumed around 15,000 kW/h per year in 1980, compared to 1,570 kW/h/year in 2015.
Finally, technological improvements on filtration pumps or even lighting have also made it possible to reduce the energy bill of swimming pools.