"Under the pretext of drought, they want us to put meters on our wells," several Internet users say on social networks. "No more free water. Even to water our plants we will have to pay now, "says another. The news has spread like wildfire on social networks in recent days, to the great despair of individual well owners, but also professionals.

Today I met an organic farmer who owns his land and told me that the town hall of the municipality on which he depends wants to install a meter on each of his natural water wells to apply a tax.
They went crazy. pic.twitter.com/VKmNMNHR8h

— Jeremiah 🕎 ✝ 🫒 🇫🇷 (@Bible_au_coeur) May 12, 2023

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Several blogs argue that this restriction measure is part of Emmanuel Macron's "sobriety plan" on water, in order to face the hot season, while many departments are already affected by measures to restrict water uses due to drought. To the extent that they are content to collect rainwater, Internet users wonder about the usefulness of such a measure in the face of the water shortage that is coming, once again, this summer. 20 Minutes takes stock.

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This is not a measure taken this year in anticipation of the difficult summer ahead. And as proof, the article shared by Internet users entitled "Meters on your wells, it's over free water ... " was written by La Dépêche in 2009. At the time, the text explained that a decree dated January 1 of the same year modified the regulations of wells. "Well owners must now declare their installation to the town hall. If the installation is prior to December 31, 2008, there are only a few days left, until December 31, to declare it. If you want to build, the declaration is, of course, also mandatory," it said.



And to add, that it was now mandatory to "equip the well with a device for counting the volume of water withdrawn. In other words: install a meter. Indeed, it is written in Article L214-8 of the Environmental Code: "Installations subject to authorization or declaration [...] allowing surface water withdrawals or discharges to be carried out for non-domestic purposes, as well as any groundwater pumping installation, must be provided with appropriate means of measurement or evaluation. [...] When water is withdrawn by pumping, the measurement is carried out by means of a water meter. »

The owners of the wells concerned must also "keep the corresponding data for three years" and "keep them at the disposal of the administrative authority as well as legal persons under public law, the list of which is fixed by decree", in the event of any control.

The obligation to declare your well to the mayor

Finally, with regard to the declaration of its well, indeed, Article R2224-22 of the General Code of Local Authorities provides that since the publication of a decree dated 2 July 2008: "any sampling device, well or borehole, the realization of which is envisaged to obtain water intended for domestic use within the meaning of Article R. 214-5 of the Environmental Code, is declared to the mayor of the municipality on whose territory this work is planned, at the latest one month before the start of the work. »

With regard to the use of water, it is considered domestic when its withdrawal is "less than or equal to 1,000 m3" per year, and concerns "withdrawals and discharges intended exclusively for the satisfaction of the needs of natural persons who own or rent the facilities and those of persons habitually residing under their roof". The measure was mainly put in place for health reasons, so as not to risk contamination of the public network or pollution of the water table, in particular.

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