According to an article in Reporterre, in early September, several Guadeloupe residents were left without running water, revealing a worsening crisis and the authorities’ inability to resolve it.
The article refers to a resident of Gosier. She suffered a nine-day water cut, a situation that has become frequent with cuts due to leaks in infrastructure, estimated at between 60 and 70%. Reporterre reports that she “bought a device that produces water from the humidity in the air. “It cost me 2,300 euros, which is a lot of money, but it allows me to recover 13 liters a day”. These 13 liters are used for all purposes. That’s less than 10% of the average per capita consumption on La Reunion Island.
Everyday life for the island’s inhabitants also involves ruining themselves by buying packs of bottled water.
“In Guadeloupe, residents pay 6.74 euros (excluding tax) per cubic meter. That’s 55% more expensive” than in France, says Reporterre. In addition to high costs, many bills remain unpaid (43% in 2023), a revolt that began more than ten years ago. Investment in the network is deemed insufficient, and the state of the infrastructure compromises supply. Despite repairs, pressure remains too low to serve the entire region, leaving residents in a situation of chronic shortage.

Over 60% pipe loss in Guadeloupe

What’s happening in Guadeloupe is part of a global crisis. La Reunion Island is also affected. Indeed, the lack of water is causing water cuts. This is particularly the case in Salazie, where water is cut off for several hours a day to preserve the resource.
The water crisis in Guadeloupe is reminiscent of the situation on La Reunion Island. The water distribution system is the same. Kilometers of pipes link the potabilization plants to the taps in the homes. As on La Réunion, this type of installation is impossible to maintain properly. On our island, 35% of expensively potabilized water is lost down the drain. This proportion exceeds 60% in Guadeloupe.
On our island, this distribution system leads to an average per capita consumption of 180 liters of drinking water per day, whereas 2 liters are sufficient. As the same causes produce the same effects, such a system in Guadeloupe must be responsible for similar consumption.
What’s more, Guadeloupe’s population is steadily declining. Pressure on the resource should follow the same pattern. But the pressure on the resource means that the water supply has to be cut, and this can last for several days.

2300 euros to produce 13 liters of water a day effortlessly

With the same system, the Reunionese need to be vigilant. Consumption of 180 liters of drinking water per inhabitant per day is increasing pressure on a resource weakened by the climate crisis. Drought has set in, including in the east, which used to be La Réunion’s water tower. Abundant rainfall is no longer a daily occurrence, and everything has been turned upside down.
Faced with water shortages, Guadeloupeans are adapting to reduce their dependence on the French companies and their subsidiaries that control what has become a market.
With an installation costing 2,300 euros, it is possible to produce 13 liters of water from the humidity in the air. These 13 liters are enough for a family’s drinking and cooking needs. The rest of the needs can be met by a well or cistern storing rainwater.
This seems more appropriate in a tropical island like La Réunion Island, where the climate crisis is making water scarcer. It is important to act to prevent conflicts of use, which are bound to arise if daily drinking water consumption remains at 180 liters per person.

M.M.