Inventaire des plans d'eaux

[nectarine]

We have a pond on our land, fed by a spring but also from rainwater and drainage from surrounding hills.

We've now received the above document which seems to be a census of all water sources in our department. It's asking if we exploit the water in any way and the source of the water, but also the width, depth, etc., of it (we've no way of knowing this and I've no plans to start swimming in it!).

Anyway just wondered if anybody else had received one of these before ... I'm also wondering if there's some potential tax issues here, might they be considering charging if you have water? And also might the water be considered communal property in case of drought (I've no problems if the pompiers wanted to use it but if local farmers might have a claim that's a different matter).

Probably imaginign problems that don't exist but you never know ... so if anybody has knowledge of one of these please let me know.

[Cendrillon]

It may not be as bad as you think. Recently friends of ours and all in our neighbourhood who have them, had to "declare" their wells. Perhaps someone at your mairie could throw some light on this.

[Wilko]

We had a similar issue to Cendrillon. I asked three of my neighbours and they all said to me declare nothing, which they all did...........so I followed suit. It's bound to be another method of taxation.

W

[andyh4]

Well you might think that, but the local survey was to identify sources of watere for fire fighting - and included swimming pools.  Rather useful in 2003

[Cendrillon]

I agree with Andy and I think my friends did declare their well.

[Wilko]

We have water in abundance here, local canal system, River Durance all fed from the Alps

Also all swimming pools are marked on the cadastrale at the mairie, with regular checks on them by helicopter throughout Provence.

So in our case I suspect, as do my neighbours, that it was yet another method by the mairie to relieve us of our hard earned.

[andyh4]

You are of course joking W.

 

I have been crossing the Durance twice a week for the last months and as you must well know it is little more than a trickle during the months when you are most likely to have a scrub/forest fire.

 

If like us you do end up with a bit of smoke that encompasses several thousand hectares then they need access to every last drop they can find.

[Wilko]

"You are of course joking W."

No I'm not...........we have never had water shortages here in the Vaucluse including 2003.

I don't know where you cross the Durance but try crossing at Chatreuse de Bonpas and even in the summer months there is a huge amount of water. You also choose to forget the Canals du Provence, Carpentras and St Julien, of which the latter two flow right through the commune...............and don't forget les Canadair.

So for you to think that the mairie is seeking out water for fire fighting you are very much mistaken.

In June 2006 the whole of the south Luberon mountains were alight, arsonist, it burned for 3 days, less than a km from us and that " encompasses several thousand hectares" It was handled by the Canadairs and the local pompiers but at no time were we advised to flee our premises, as the pompiers pointed out, if necessary they could flood the whole of the commune in under 30 minutes. This part of Provence is not called the "Potager de France" for nothing... huge amounts of fruit and vegetables are grown here because there is access to unlimited supplies of water.

W

[Joe]

A bit like here in Brittany then where water is concerned.