French Residential Water Connection, Supply and Usage

Moving to France may be the most exciting event in your life, and in this article we explain how to arrange your French water connection, possible problems you'll encounter with mains pressure and water quality, and how to deal with these, and finally, when to expect water restrictions.

Local Water Supply
The water rights in France are owned by local communes, and most is outsource to private corporations that maintain the water networks, provide billing, and develop infrastructure in consultation with the commune. Water supply and sewerage are managed and charged for separately in France.

Your commune is likely going to have an arrangement with one of Veolia, Suez, or Saur, and your local mayor's office will have all the details for contacting them to commence supply. Of course the water is always on unless the meter has been removed, so it's important you get the meter read when you move into your new house, you don't want to be invoiced for the last owner's usage. In the event the meter has been removed you will need to contact the mayor's office (mairie) to have this reinstalled, usually for a nominal fee.

Arranging to pay for your water should be a simple exercise, your real estate agent or lawyer might even be able to arrange it for you, however, in the event you need to contact the supply company yourself, be prepared and take copies of all your identification, a bank statement that shows your account number, and proof that you own or rent the property. Expect to pay for your water twice per year.

Water Quality and Pressure
All mains water supply in France is of high quality, and is safe and drinkable, although it is recognised as being very hard and calcium build-up can be a real issue in pipes and appliances. Veolia recommend reducing the temperature of your hot water boiler to around 60℃to slow the build-up of calcium deposits.

The pressure on French water connections is generally much higher than in the UK, and you would be well advised to have a pressure reducer installed alongside the meter. This isn't a terribly difficult job to do and in most cases your local plumber would be able to complete the job reasonably quickly.

High water pressure can adversely affect hot water systems, damage appliances such as washing machines or dish washers, and costs you more if it goes down the drain.

Water Restrictions in France
Recent heat waves in Europe, and low rainfall in parts of France have led to summertime water restrictions in recent years. Typically filling our swimming pool, washing your car, watering the  garden with a hose-pipe, and other non-essential activities will be banned while the restrictions are in force. Fines can be imposed on anyone not abiding by the restrictions.

The French Ministère de l'écologie, du développement et de l'aménagement durables publishes regular updates, often twice a week, detailing which departments face restrictions, although this information is also available from your local mayor's office.

If you're considering buying a property and moving to France, remember the local mayor's office is there to help you and advise on all aspects of French residential water supply, get to know them, they'll help make sure things run smoothly for you.

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