Ile aux Belles Eaux has a problem with leaks. According to a report published Friday by the Water Office for the period 2020-2021, only 40% of the water taken from the Guadeloupe archipelago reaches the tap. Furthermore, only 39% of existing catchments which “represent 74.6% of the volume of water intended for drinking water supply” are authorized and the others are “awaiting regulation”.
“The population is asked not to consume water from sources” too often contaminated beyond the recommended thresholds for pesticides (chlordecone) and hydrocarbons, warns this document. In addition, 14 out of 18 collective sanitation stations in Guadeloupe are faulty due to “out of service or dilapidated structures, faulty operation, occasional incidents”.
As a result, the quality of bathing waters deteriorates, as does the coral reef. This Friday, a complaint was filed by citizens for the offense of exposing others to a risk of death, “a citizen approach with the desire to create an electric shock with the competent authorities”, according to their lawyer, Me Emmanuel Daoud. In 2021, the law created a single water management union, which is already experiencing many financial difficulties to the point that a roadmap has been signed between local actors, under the leadership of the State, to try to find a beginning of a solution.