The Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion recalled that, in France, we consume nearly 150 liters of water per day and per person. This average is true, but hides many disparities.
The drought is not receding in France, as recalled on France inter, Christophe Béchu. The Minister for the Ecological Transition called for compliance with the water restrictions in force in the departments most affected.
>> Drought: is your department affected by water restrictions?
For this, he invites the French to go to the government website, Vigieau, which shows any water restrictions depending on where you are. He also recalled that “each of us is 148 liters of water per day per person”. This is true, even if this average hides many disparities.
We each consume, on average, nearly 150 liters of water per day
This is what the latest report from the observatory of public water and sanitation services reveals, from June 2023. We consume, on average, 148 liters of water per day and per person. This represents, approximately, the equivalent of a classic rectangular bathtub. We have been at this level of consumption for just over 10 years.
In detail, according to Ademe, the ecological transition agency, more than 90% of this water is used for our personal hygiene, sanitary facilities, laundry, dishes and maintenance of the habitat. Less than 10% is used for drinking and cooking. But this figure corresponds to an average that hides many disparities.
Disparities in income, standard of living and location
According to data from the water information center, people with modest incomes, such as certain isolated retirees or students, consume less, on average, than the richest, who are generally less careful. There is also the lifestyle that comes into play. For example, a French person on vacation consumes more, on average, 230 liters of water per day.
Regarding regional disparities, we note for example that a resident of Hauts-de-France consumes half as much water per day as a resident of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. This can be explained by the higher temperatures in the south, but also by the tourist pressure in certain months, as well as by the gardens to be watered or the private swimming pools.
The state of the water distribution network pointed out
The report from the observatory of public water and sanitation services also points to the still high leakage rate from the distribution network in France. For every five liters injected into the network, one liter is lost in nature. This is due in particular to our aging pipe network, which dates mainly from the 1970s.
On March 30, 2023, Emmanuel Macron announced an envelope of 180 million euros to fight against the most significant water leaks. 170 local authorities are targeted, in particular municipalities where more than one liter of water in two is lost in the distribution networks.