The Price of Water

The price of water in France

Although France is often criticized for its water management, and households increasingly feel that water is expensive, French water prices compare favorably with those in the European market, at 11 % below the European average, according to the report published by the FP2E (Fédération Professionnelle des Entreprises de l’Eau) in November 2017 (a study conducted every 2 years covering the 5 largest cities in 10 major European countries).

Water prices by European country : €/m3

Italy : 0.84

Spain : 1.92

Sweden : 2.45

Finland : 2.88 

France : 3.01

Belgium : 3.49

Great Britain : 3.58

Netherlands : 4.01 

Germany : 5.16 

Denmark : 6.18

For more details on each country.

The average price of a cubic meter of water in France in 2017 was :

- 3.56 €/m3 including all taxes and fees (or 0.36 euro cents per liter)

- compared with 4.01 € for the average across the European sample.

Who sets the price of water and what does it include ?

In France, each municipality sets the price of the water it supplies, resulting in extremely varied prices across French regions (although standards do exist to prevent excessive differences). Water prices can therefore range from 3 to more than 10 euros per m3 (with more than 10,000 different water service prices in France, across 36,000 municipalities) !

Two principles govern the price of water :

- Water pays for water : the taxes you pay on water must be used to pay for water - and nothing else - since municipalities must balance their budgets, with spending matching revenue.

- The polluter pays : the main polluters must cover the cost of measures to prevent and combat pollution.

The price of water therefore varies depending on the location and the investments and costs required to operate water services and distribute water. It includes :

- water withdrawal or collection (groundwater, rainwater…)

- water treatment to produce drinking water

- storage and conveyance, as well as distribution

- wastewater collection and treatment (industry, homes…)

- returning water to the natural environment after wastewater treatment

Added to this are :

- maintenance, renovation or construction of new infrastructure (wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations, network expansion…)

- taxes (VAT) and fees charged by public or semi-public bodies

The price breaks down as follows :

- 45 % for production and distribution 

- 37 % for wastewater removal and treatment 

- 18 % in taxes and fees

https://www.eaufrance.fr/le-prix-de-leau

For more information on the price of water :

A Que choisir study on water prices by region.

Should you drink bottled water to save money ?

Absolutely not !  The average price of a liter of water in France is 0.30 euro cents, or 3 euros per m³. Since a pack of six 1.5-liter bottles sells for between 3 and 3.50 euros in supermarkets, tap water costs 200 to 300 times less than bottled water !

And here we are only talking about water used for drinking, without even mentioning water for our everyday needs : personal hygiene, washing dishes, laundry…

But even though water remains relatively inexpensive in France, it is essential to protect this natural resource and conserve it. Take a look at our articles 7 Tips to Reduce Your Water Consumption and What Uses the Most Water at Home ? to find useful ideas you can put into practice every day!