Huge variation in price of water

A WEBSITE has been set up for people to log how much their water costs - and reveals a huge variation across France. www.prixdeleau.fr has been created by consumer magazine 60 Millions de Consommateurs and the pressure group France Liberté. It also uses information from water watchdog the Observatoire de l’Eau.

Water prices per cubic metre are set by each commune, however councillors generally apply the rates suggested by the local water supply company. For example, one resident in Bazochesau- Houlme in the Orne, Basse- Normandie, said she pays €6.77, while in Coulmer, in the same department, it costs €2.78.

The observatoire says that water in Falaise, Calvados, costs just €1.72/m2. In the Dordogne, Chantérac residents pay €6.92 while residents in Saint- Antoine-Cumond pay €1.81. The price soars to €9.67 in Lamonzie-Montastruc, near Bergerac. The north and west have the highest average costs.