A cubic metre of water costs €4.89 including tax on average in France, for a reference consumption of 120 m³ a year, according to the national observatory of water and sanitation services (SISPEA, price at 1 January 2025). That price adds drinking water (€2.50) and collective wastewater treatment (€2.39). It varies widely from one municipality to another, and it has risen by 35% since 2009. Here is how it breaks down, what it means on a bill and how to act on it.
Source: Eaufrance, "Average overall price of water at 1 January 2025" (SISPEA, French Biodiversity Office, 2024 report published 25 June 2026).
How much does one cubic metre of water cost?
One cubic metre of water, 1,000 litres, costs €4.89 including tax on average in France at 1 January 2025, wastewater included. A litre therefore costs just under half a cent. The figure is a national average computed for a household using 120 m³ a year: your real price depends on your municipality, your type of wastewater treatment and the tariff structure of your service.
The price of water appears on the bill in two main parts. Drinking water (production, treatment, distribution) averages €2.50/m³. Collective wastewater treatment (collection and depollution) averages €2.39/m³. Each part has a fixed component, the standing charge, and a variable component proportional to the cubic metres read on the meter, plus water agency levies and VAT.
How has the price of water changed?
The average price of water went from €3.62/m³ in 2009 to €4.89/m³ in 2025, a 35% rise in fifteen years, with a recent acceleration: €4.34 in 2021, €4.52 in 2022, €4.69 in 2023, then €4.89. The increase comes from network renewal, the treatment of new pollutants and higher energy costs.
| Year | Average price incl. tax (€/m³) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 3.62 | |
| 2015 | 4.04 | +11.6% over 6 years |
| 2021 | 4.34 | |
| 2022 | 4.52 | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 4.69 | +3.8% |
| 2024 (price at 1 January 2025) | 4.89 | +4.3% |
Source: SISPEA, price at 1 January of the following year, 120 m³ basis. Percentage changes are computed from the published values.
What does the price of water mean on a bill?
At the average price of €4.89/m³, a person using 143 litres a day, the French average in 2024, spends about €254 on water a year (52 m³). A two-person household sits around 100 m³ and €490 a year, a four-person household around 150 m³ and €730 a year. These amounts exclude the energy needed to heat water, which often weighs more than the water itself: heating one litre from 15 to 40 °C takes about 0.03 kWh.
| Household | Annual volume | Water bill at the average price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 52 m³ (143 L a day, SISPEA 2024) | ≈ €254 |
| 2 people | ≈ 100 m³ | ≈ €490 |
| 4 people | ≈ 150 m³ | ≈ €730 |
Volumes for 2 and 4 people: estimates from the RAPPEL network (2018), reported by Selectra; the per-person volume is SISPEA 2024. Bill computed at €4.89/m³, excluding any specific standing charge and heating energy.
Why does the price of water differ between municipalities?
The price of water differs between municipalities because the service is local: each local authority or syndicate sets its tariffs according to the available resource, the length and condition of its network, the treatment required and population density. A long network serving few subscribers costs more per cubic metre than a dense urban one. Water agency levies also vary between river basins. The website services.eaufrance.fr publishes the price of every service, municipality by municipality.
How can you reduce your water bill?
The most effective lever is the shower: baths and showers account for 39% of domestic consumption, ahead of toilets (20%), laundry (12%) and dishes (10%) according to CIEau. The reference shower measured during the Molleau pilot with Hénéo was 45 litres; displaying litres during the shower brought it down to 34.7 litres, −23%, without touching the flow rate. Other levers: fixing leaks (a dripping tap loses 4 litres an hour, 35 m³ a year), fitting a dual-flush toilet and choosing water-efficient appliances.
For a building manager or a hotelier, hot shower water counts twice: on the water bill and on the energy bill. The Molleaumètre displays consumption live in the shower and feeds the data to a dashboard, room by room.
What would it mean for you?
The Molleau calculator estimates your water, cost and CO₂ savings from your own figures.
A cubic metre of water costs €4.89 including tax on average in France (SISPEA, price at 1 January 2025, 120 m³ basis), of which €2.50 for drinking water and €2.39 for wastewater. The price has risen 35% since 2009 and varies widely by municipality. One person uses 143 litres a day, about €254 of water a year; the shower is the first item to reduce. Source: Molleau, molleau.com, from SISPEA and CIEau.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a litre of tap water cost?
About half a euro cent in France, wastewater included, based on the average price of €4.89 per cubic metre (SISPEA, price at 1 January 2025). A 45-litre shower therefore represents about 22 cents of water, before the energy needed to heat it.
Why is the price of water computed on 120 m³?
120 m³ a year is the reference consumption of a typical household used by INSEE and the SISPEA observatory to compare services. It combines the fixed part (standing charge) and the variable part of the tariff into a single price per cubic metre.
Will the price of water keep rising?
I cannot say with certainty. SISPEA data show a steady rise since 2009 (+35%) and an acceleration since 2021. Network renewal, with about one litre in five lost to leaks, and the treatment of new pollutants push prices upwards.
How do I find the price of water in my municipality?
The exact price is on your bill and on services.eaufrance.fr, which publishes indicator D102.0 (price of the service per m³ including tax for 120 m³) for every water and wastewater service in France.
Sources: Eaufrance, "Average overall price of water at 1 January 2025" (SISPEA, French Biodiversity Office, 2024 report published 25 June 2026); Eaufrance, "Drinking water consumed per inhabitant per day in 2024" (SISPEA, OFB); Centre d'information sur l'eau (CIEau), breakdown of domestic water uses, page updated June 2026, reported by Selectra; leaks: CIEau (dripping tap, 4 L an hour). Reduction results: Molleau × Hénéo pilot, RIVP group, Relais d'Italie residence, 3,140 showers, November 2025 to June 2026 (full protocol).