“Rainwater Collectors: The Solution to Water Shortage in 2022 and Beyond”

After a summer of 2022 spent under watering bans, individuals are getting organized to invest in rainwater collectors, and some municipalities are supporting them in their efforts, such as Beaumont-Saint-Cyr, in Vienne. The demand is growing and in garden centers and DIY stores, these tubs are very popular.

Delivery was expected. For the first time, the municipality of Beaumont-Saint-Cyr has placed an order for rainwater collectors for its citizens. The idea stemmed from the drought in the summer of 2022, and the numerous decrees on the use of water, and enabled the inhabitants of the town to buy 104 1,000-litre tanks as a group.

Eric Marie bought three tanks thanks to this order, and he saved money: “114 euros per tank”he congratulates himself, “It’s not far from 130 euros in stores, 130 euros, even 160 in some stores, that’s the advantage.” On average, the saving is around 50 euros thanks to these collective purchases.

At the origin of this approach, Stéphane Cintract, municipal councilor in charge of local life, is trying to change practices: “People will draw drinking water to water their garden”he laments, “nature does things well, it gives us water, so we might as well recover it instead of pumping it from groundwater.” Proud to have convinced nearly a hundred inhabitants, he would now like to see things change in municipal regulations: “For me, it’s the future, I hope that now in the PLU (local urban plans) we will be forced to install water collectors.”

Some communities of municipalities, such as Niort Agglo, are committed to supporting the purchase of water collectors. The latter subsidizes up to 80% of the price excluding tax, up to a limit of 150 euros, for tanks of at least 300 litres.

Individuals fear a new drought, and are finding it increasingly difficult to find these famous rainwater recovery tanks on the market. Beaumon-Saint-Cyr is not the only town to embark on these group orders. In Migné-Auxances, residents have come together to make a joint purchase themselves.

In a DIY sign in Vienne, contracts should be made with three other municipalities in the department. For Benoît Fradeau, its general manager, demand has quadrupled, and waiting times are stretching, from 15 to 20 days for a tank of less than 500 liters, and up to two months for those of 1 000 liters: “We are victims of our success”he admits, “Usually, we sell two tank trucks, there we will be at 6 or 7 trucks this year, so there is really a craze for water collectors.”

While water savings are on everyone’s mind, or almost, the rainwater collector appears to be an ecological solution, which can make the difference on the bill.

According to INSEE, a French household of 2.5 people on average consumes 329 liters of water per day, which represents approximately 120 cubic meters each year. 7% of this consumption is allocated to food consumption, and 6% to the garden and the car. This last item of expenditure can easily be achieved with rainwater.

A tank can hold 200 to 5,000 liters of water, knowing that year-round, it is possible to recover up to 600 liters of rainwater per square meter of roof.