Label to promote a city that is exemplary in terms of economy and water management. This idea is not new, it has already been implemented in Drôme with the Water Efficient City label awarded this summer to 35 municipalities, but it could soon be duplicated in the Pyrénées-Orientales.
“This will be a way to revitalize the charter developed by the mayors’ association in 2023 in the midst of the drought,” explained its director, Mélanie Millan. Between 85 and 90% of the department’s municipalities then signed the charter to make major savings: water consumption in the department – communities, households and businesses – has fallen by more than 20% in a few months.
After the flower, it falls
“We are still in the project phase, we are working with state services to develop a questionnaire that will be sent to the municipalities so they can detail the efforts made. This will determine a score to determine whether they are eligible to be labeled or not. »
The shape of the label is also still to be determined, “but it will probably be inspired by what is in the flower village for example, perhaps with drops instead of flowers,” he added. This label could also be a way to definitively embed the theme of saving water in people’s minds… “In 2023, elected officials managed to overcome the emergency, but now we realize, with the situation not getting better, this must be an everyday concern. »
Despite almost normal rainfall between September 2024 and August 2025, water levels are still highly stressed, the Agly Salanque sector, Aspres Réart and Tech valley are still in crisis, the Têt valley is on high alert and the coastal region is on alert. This label will start to become popular in the first half of 2026, after the municipal elections.
