Private swimming pools: should water restrictions be imposed?

orange with media services, published on Friday, August 12, 2022 at 12:00 p.m

At a time when the entire French territory is affected by a drought, the Federation of Swimming Pool Professionals (FFP) ensures that private swimming pools have a very low impact on water consumption. “All swimming pools account for only 0.12% of France’s annual water consumption.” , argues the union.

The pools are becoming more and more popular. France has approx 3.2 million private swimming pools including 1.55 million underground pools and 1.64 million above-ground pools according to the latest FPP figures published in April, reaffirming France’s position as European leader in swimming pool construction.

In 2021, the park expanded by 244,000 pools and the turnover of the pool specialists increased by 32% in a year, “thanks to the ‘booster’ effect of Covid and the favorable weather”, says Joëlle Pulinx Challet, General Delegate of AFP of the FPP, which brings together more than 1,400 French companies specializing in swimming pools and spas. in 30 years The size of the pools has increased from over 70 m3 to 43 m3 she emphasizes, and the average price is currently 24,000 euros, depending on equipment and region.

Democratized private swimming pools

The market for private swimming pools has been “democratized” in recent years, said FPP President Stéphane Figueroa in April. According to a survey by the company Decryptis in February and March 2022 on behalf of the FPP with a sample of 18,000 households living in a single-family house, the proportion of workers, farmers, and employees owning an in-ground pool would have skyrocketed from “10% in four years” from 14.1% of pool owners in 2017 to 24.7% in 2021.

For their part, that of entrepreneurs and executives has remained “stable” in recent years, at 41.6% in 2021, according to the Decryptis study. On the other hand, thePensioners are now “less represented” among the owners in-ground pools at home: 33.7% in 2021 compared to 40.1% in 2017.

At a time when France is facing a historic drought, “a swimming pool uses on average 15 m3 of water per year, or as much to produce 1 kg of beef”, defends Joëlle Pulinx Challet, adding: “In 25 years , it was even reduced by 45%”.

“0.12% of France’s annual water consumption”

The CEO attributes this decline to “Customers no longer completely drain their swimming pools every year like they used to‘ but also ‘the use of covers to prevent evaporation’ or even ‘the establishment of tanks to collect water’.

“All swimming pools represent only 0.12% of France’s annual water consumption,” she argues again, referring to ” a very low “impact” of swimming pools on water consumption in the country. According to estimates, the consumption of heating has also fallen by a factor of almost 10 in 35 years. These systems consumed around 15,000 kW/h per year in 1980 compared to 1,570 kW/h/year in 2015.

Finally, technological improvements on filter pumps or even lighting have also made it possible to reduce the energy bills of swimming pools.