Seasonal water prices: will owners of swimming pools in Toulouse pay more?

The announcement caused quite a stir. From June 1, a new so-called seasonal water rate will come into force in 37 municipalities of the Toulouse metropolis. Consumption in summer will be more expensive and in winter its price will drop. For a house with a garden and a pool, which consumes 100 m3 in winter and 150 m3 in summer, the bill will increase from 820.90 euros to 904.30 euros. An increase of just over 80 euros. The owners of swimming pools, which are directly targeted by this measure, do not panic.

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Patrick had his own (30 m3) built a few weeks after moving into a house in Pibrac six years ago. He filled it once. He has never emptied it since. The water level rises barely once or twice a summer. “In the evening, a solar-powered electric cover covers the pool to prevent evaporation. I know it’s a precious resource, I avoid wasting it,” assures this former airline manager. The new price “will not change much” for him. “These costs will be minimal compared to others,” he says.

“I don’t have overwhelming consumption”

At his pavilion in Toulouse, Phillipe does the same. At the end of good weather, he does not drain the water from his pool. It doesn’t fill much in the summer, “the only thing missing is when my two daughters played a lot”. “The price of water going up is not going to stop me from continuing what I was doing. My consumption is not overwhelming…”, the man in his forties justifies.

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When Robert Médina, president of Eau Toulouse Métropole, announced the system, he spoke of “a system that does not penalize anyone”. “Only users who use the most water in the summer to water the garden or fill the pool will pay the highest rate for their excess use,” he said. New water price, this last straw for pool owners…