The island of La Réunion on the way to the wall

In Salazie, one of the wettest regions of the island of La Réunion, the water supply was interrupted for seven hours a day for weeks

16 Septemberfrom Manuel Marchal

On the island of Reunion, the east of the island has traditionally been the country’s water tower. Frequent and abundant rainfall was the norm, especially at higher altitudes. But since September 13, the French water company in Salazie has announced daily water cuts for several weeks: between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., i.e. 7 hours a day. Apart from the cuts, the usual flow rate is not guaranteed. Salazie has historically been one of the best irrigated regions in the country.

But in recent years, the climate on La Réunion has changed. There is drought and the east of the island no longer receives as much rainwater as it used to.

At the same time, the population of Reunion Island continues to grow and water consumption follows this trend. This is facilitated by the import of the French water distribution and treatment system to Reunion Island. This import brings significant profits to companies, especially French ones, who share a market.

In just a few decades, La Réunion has gone from being a model of sobriety to being a model of wasting water – a vital resource.

Consequences of the introduction of the French system

The consequence of adopting the French system is that drinking water is no longer used just for drinking, but for all kinds of purposes: disposing of waste, cleaning floors, washing cars, watering gardens, cleaning yards and sidewalks, filling swimming pools… Before it reaches the tap, the water is made drinkable in a plant. There are often several kilometers of pipes between the plant and the tap. At least 30% of the water is lost in these pipes. If this were to happen in one of the countries neighboring Reunion, some people would not hesitate to speak of pirate connections or water diversions. But the reality is that such a network is difficult to maintain and leaks are complicated to plug. The water lost in the pipes is nevertheless billed to the consumer. Consumers pay not only for drinking water, but also for the treatment of this unique drinking water. They pay for the treatment plants that filter the water before it is discharged into the sea.

The importation of the French system has led to the installation of several drinking water points in a house or apartment, even in gardens and courtyards. This ease of use opens the door to all kinds of waste. This is all the more true as the climate on the island of La Réunion is warmer than in France. The imported system therefore automatically leads to higher consumption than in its country of origin.

This corresponds to 36 canisters of water (20 kilos each) per day for a family of four.

The average daily consumption in Reunion is estimated at 180 litres of drinking water per person. Taking into account pipe losses, the demand caused by the imported system leads to a production of around 250 litres of drinking water per person per day. This is undoubtedly a record in Africa. Imagine that these 180 litres of water correspond to 9 canisters of 20 kilos of water for one person per day. For a family of four, that would be 36 canisters of 20 kilos to be carried every day. This gives an idea of ​​the extent of the waste.

In fact, the daily requirement of a person is estimated at 2 litres per person. The remaining 178 litres are therefore wasted. But this waste is the problem of the companies, especially the French ones, which control the distribution and treatment of water on Reunion Island.

It is possible to act before conflicts arise between users

Reunion Island has one of the highest rainfalls in the world, but the free water that falls from the sky runs off parking lots and streets and is rarely ever recycled.

However, rainwater can be used for everything except drinking. It can also be used for cooking, provided it is boiled.

In the Comoros, the water that runs off the roofs is stored in a tank under the house. All you have to do is lift a lid in the ground and you get free water for everything except drinking. It’s like having a well right under your house.

At the level of our country, the construction of reservoirs at higher altitudes is a solution that the Communist Party of Réunion has long proposed. This would mean significant quantities of free water that could be used for agriculture and all other purposes other than drinking. This water would not be a burden on current resources, but a bonus.

These two examples require far less investment than the more than 500 million euros that taxpayers in Reunion and other countries will have to pay to water network operators over the next few years to build new drinking water treatment plants and sewage treatment plants and to rehabilitate old and leaky water pipes. They show that it is possible to challenge the imported system. The risk of conflict between users of a resource that is becoming scarcer requires action.

MM