Water is still precious... even costing just €1 a year

Despite the rate, residents treat it is a precious resource and there was no significant wastage on the hottest summer days or the worst of the drought.

Mayor Yvan Mesnard said: “We have had a municipal water company for 92 years. In 2011 we said water was not a commodity but a ‘common good of humanity’; so we keep costs low.

“The water is free, it comes from our 6m source and our only cost is for chlorination. A typical annual usage is 30m3 so we give our 4,500 customers the first 30m3 for €1.”

The 2011 decision won the town a Marianne d’Or official state award in 2015 and sparked a debate over the ‘right to water’.

A more immediate problem for Mr Mesnard is that Métropole d’Aix-Marseille-Provence is due to take over water services in 2020. The mairie has a deal to continue with local management but there are fears for the future of their special benefits.