Samuel Courvallet, the non-partisan mayor of Pierrefitte-en-Cinglais, has sparked anger among environmental groups by constructing a massive agricultural water basin for his apple orchard.
The 54-year-old farmer began building the reservoir at the start of the summer on his 70-hectare property in the Calvados department of Normandy. Reaching a depth of more than 10 metres, the basin can store up to 40,000 cubic metres of water, making it an unprecedented construction for the local area, according to news outlet Reporterre.
The facility carries a total cost running into hundreds of thousands of euros. Public funding from the state covers more than half of the overall bill.
Funding and drought response
Courvallet said the primary purpose of the storage site was to create a water reserve to withstand severe droughts and protect his thousands of fruit trees. The local municipality of Pierrefitte-en-Cinglais was officially placed under a drought crisis alert in mid-August.
In an interview with regional broadcaster Ici Normandie, the producer explained that all rainwater runoff from the nearby hill flows directly to the site. He said his plan was to collect these natural flows to irrigate his apple crops during the driest periods of the summer season.
Agricultural water reservoirs, commonly referred to as bassines in France, have become a focal point of national debate as farming communities seek to safeguard crop yields against summer heatwaves. Normandy is widely recognised for its extensive apple orchards and cider production, making agricultural water usage vital to local rural economies.
Environmental complaints and lack of permits
Despite the mayor's goal of protecting his harvest, the project has met strong opposition from regional conservationists. In early August, five environmental associations submitted formal complaints to the departmental prefect, the public prosecutor, the French Office for Biodiversity, and local administrative authorities.
According to a letter sent by the associations and cited by investigative publication Le Canard enchaîné, the construction required a comprehensive environmental authorisation and a formal planning permit. The groups asserted that the mayor began work without obtaining either document.
The lack of public consultation has also drawn criticism from neighbouring agricultural workers. A market gardener from an adjacent village told Reporterre that nobody in the surrounding area was informed about the project before digging started, and questioned the necessity of irrigating apple trees in Normandy.
French environmental regulations mandate that large-scale earthworks undergo rigorous ecological impact assessments to safeguard groundwater tables and local rivers. The French Office for Biodiversity routinely investigates unapproved land modifications to ensure compliance with national environmental codes.
Following the formal filings by the five associations, the regulatory status of the site remains under review by state officials and judicial bodies.
