Louise Sallé, edited by Ophélie Artaud 06:48, August 11, 2022
A complaint was filed at the end of July by the intercommunality of the Aubenas basin, in Ardèche, for a "theft of water" in a reservoir useful to firefighters in the event of a fire.
The co-president of a local motocross club denounced himself this Sunday, and announced that he was at the origin of this illegal levy, which has a cost for the community of municipalities.
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In Ardèche, the community of communes of the Aubenas basin thus filed a complaint with the gendarmerie, on July 28, for a "water theft".
Nearly 400 m3 were indeed pumped into the Lavilledieu reservoir, near a business park.
The culprit denounced himself on Sunday: he was one of the leaders of the neighboring motocross club, located a few hundred meters from the basin, who wanted to increase his water reserves in anticipation of an event.
"It never happened"
The president of the intercommunality of the basin of Aubenas, Max Tourvieilhe, did not believe his eyes when, on July 18, he discovered that two thirds of the stored water had disappeared.
“At first, I had a hard time believing it,” he says.
“400 cubic meters is still a very large volume of water, and on my territory it has never happened”, continues the president.
"When the perpetrator confessed, it appears to have been pumped out and simply moved with hoses. Was it the padlock that was forced? Was there pumping from underneath? the fence? The investigation will clarify it, "he says.
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The Lavilledieu reservoir is located near companies, in order to protect them in the event of a fire and help firefighters put out the fire.
"I don't understand, why with a summer, like in this year, where heat waves follow one another, where there is a very high fire risk in Ardèche, we can take samples like that without saying anything such a volume of water for anyone?" asks Max Tourvieilhe.
"I think that in the months and years to come, everyone will have to respect all of this so that we consume just enough water because it will become a precious commodity now."
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To prevent theft, there is no need to strengthen the monitoring of water reserves, according to Max Tourvieilhe.
The president simply calls for a collective awareness.
Filling the basin again could nevertheless cost up to 2000 euros to the intermunicipal authority.