The French are paying over the top at the tap:
France’s largest consumer organisation, UFC-Que Choisir, claims that water suppliers in 15 out of 19 investigated towns are making “staggering” profits.
Consumers pay up to 2.2 times the cost price. While a normal margin should be around 15%, three cities are crossing the 50% mark, with Marseille going as high as 56%.
Only four cities charge prices with a reasonable margin, with Clermont Ferrand making as little as 13% profit.
Interesting conclusion: in the four cities where the margins are lowest the water supply is in the hands of the local authorities. In the expensive cities the supply has been contracted out to private companies.
UFC-Que Choisir suggest that cities should take the drinkwater business back from private companies, and do it themselves — like in the good old days.
