Suzy Bernard took a deep breath and jumped into the deep end of her village swimming pool with a splash.
“There’s a wonderful feeling of wellbeing in the water,” said the former hospital healthcare assistant, who recently learned to swim at the age of 75 and was now gliding along with her daughter and grandson.
The municipal pool, shaded by oak trees in the village of Châteauneuf-sur-Sarthe in western France, has been the Bernard family’s daily escape from the intense heatwaves this summer. Bernard is part of the local group Touche Pas à Ma Piscine (Hands Off My Pool), which is fighting to keep the pool open and calling for more government support for rural swimming pools. “We’ll fight to make sure this pool survives and stays open,” she said.
As a summer of record temperatures dried out much of the French countryside, village pools with cheap entry fees have often been the only relief from the heat for rural families on low incomes—those who can’t afford holidays or live in homes that trap heat. These pools are also vital for teaching rural communities how to swim. Between 1 May and 15 July this year, 274 people died from drowning in France, with most deaths happening when people jumped into rivers and waterways to cool off.
But France’s aging rural pools, many built in the 1970s, are in trouble. Village mayors with tight budgets struggle to cover the high running costs, and some pools are forced to close due to lack of money.
In Châteauneuf-sur-Sarthe, a village of 3,200 people in Les Hauts-d’Anjou, a farming area in the Pays de la Loire, the new mayor, Véronique Langlais, said she was determined to keep the village pool open. It first opened in 1973 and costs at least €100,000 (£85,000) a year from the town hall’s modest budget. Three other rural pools in the surrounding area had already closed, making this the only pool within about 20 miles.
“This pool is a treasure we have to protect,” Langlais said. But any sudden need for an expensive new part or major repair could force the pool to shut down due to lack of funds. “There’s a sword of Damocles hanging over our head.”
In 1969, after France’s poor swimming results at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and a series of tragic drownings across the country, the government under Georges Pompidou launched a plan to build 1,000 pools, mainly in rural areas, to encourage swimming. Over 600 were built, but those still in use—along with pools from the 1980s—are in urgent need of costly renovation.
François Gernigon, a centre-right lawmaker for Maine-et-Loire, has petitioned the government for a funding plan. He recently surveyed rural mayors and found that more than 75% feared their village pools could close in the short term. He said the heatwaves made it essential to protect pools as “the only place of leisure to relax in rural areas.” He added that pool closures “make residents feel abandoned.”
Emma-Özlem Kaya, 45, is a printmaker whose Turkish father moved to Châteauneuf-sur-Sarthe in 1972 when the local tannery recruited artisan leather-workers from Istanbul. “We didn’t go on holiday because my parents didn’t have the budget,” she said. “So every day in summer, I’d grab my swimming b…”We’d grab our bags and head to the pool with my siblings and friends, and we’d spend the whole afternoon there with our towels spread out. Now she goes to water aerobics classes there and works to protect the pool.
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The Hauts-d’Anjou outdoor swimming pool
Nadine Lemonnier, a local teacher who’s also part of the group, remembered summer days from her childhood at another village pool nearby: “whole days spent diving for objects and having deep teenage talks at the water’s edge.” For her, keeping rural pools open was vital because they offered swimming lessons, and she felt this strongly because her three-year-old cousin drowned in a private pool.
Across France, dozens of rural village groups are coming together to protect local pools: they campaign, volunteer to help run them, and even do painting and maintenance work.
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Guillaume, a swimming instructor, leads an aqua aerobics class at the Louet municipal swimming pool in Rochefort-sur-Loire
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Chris is teaching his daughter Seren how to dive at the Louet municipal swimming pool
In Rochefort-sur-Loire, a village of 2,400 people near Angers, members of the local pool support group gathered at the water’s edge. In recent years, they had decorated the village with flippers and rubber rings to persuade a visiting government minister to secure funding for reopening the indoor teaching pool. They also hosted a poet at the pool and put on theatre performances there.
“It’s about making our village pool the heart of community life,” said Nicolas Robin, a sociologist.
On 18 July 1969, at nearby Juigné-sur-Loire, 19 children drowned in the River Loire during a trip from a school holiday club – one of many tragedies that pushed the government to improve swimming teaching facilities. Swimming lessons are still a priority. There are three rivers in the area, and the village often gets flooded in winter.
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The Louet River, now dry, right next to the Louet municipal swimming pool in Rochefort-sur-Loire Photograph: Thomas Louapre/The Guardian
“People need to know how to swim to stay safe during the flooding season too,” said Guillaume Lusteau, the pool’s lifeguard and swim coach.
The pool sits next to the River Louet, a branch of the Loire that’s usually a good spot for paddling. But the summer heatwaves have left the river too low for a dip, which has brought more swimmers to the pool.
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Didier Le Gall, mayor of Rochefort-sur-Loire: ‘The pool is part of our village’s identity’
The mayor, Didier Le Gall, said that in this area, with a large share of organic farming, health is a top priority, and the pool is essential, especially for families with lower incomes. “It’s important for children learning to swim, but also for the social lives of people who don’t go away on holiday,” he said. “The pool is part of our village’s identity, and during heatwaves it’s become a crucial place to cool off. The pool’s impact on mental and physical health is huge.”
Le Gall said the town hall wanted to keep the pool open, despite the €100,000 basic running cost. “But we need long-term help,” he said.
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Louet municipal swimming pool, in Rochefort-sur-Loire
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Louet Municipal swimming pool, in Rochefort-sur-Loire
Bruno Cheminat, 73, a former special educational needs teacher and once a competitive swimmer, swims 2,000 metres every day and has also volunteered for painting and maintenance work. “It’s lovely to be the first one in the water in the morning,” he said.
Estelle, a former flight attendant who works at the pool reception, said being in the water, looking out at the trees towards the church, lifts her mood: “It’s like swimming in a picture postcard.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the effort to save Frances rural swimming pools during heatwaves
General Background
1 What is this save the pools effort all about
Its a movement by small towns in France to keep their public outdoor pools open during summer heatwaves Many rural pools are old expensive to run and facing closure due to budget cuts and water restrictions The effort is about finding ways to keep them affordable and sustainable because they serve as vital community cooling centers
2 Why are rural pools in France closing in the first place
Three main reasons Age Money and Drought
3 Why are these pools so important during a heatwave
In cities people can go to airconditioned malls or museums In the countryside there are fewer options The pool is often the only public place where the entire communityespecially the elderly and families with young kidscan cool down safely and for a low price
4 Is this just about swimming for fun
No Its a public health issue Rural pools are seen as essential infrastructure to prevent heatstroke and dehydration during extreme temperature events
Practical Operational Questions
5 How do they save water if theres a drought restriction
They are getting creative Many pools are now covering the water surface with giant insulating blankets when closed to reduce evaporation They are also using backwash recycling systems that filter and reuse water instead of dumping it into the sewers
6 What are they doing about the high energy costs
Many are switching to solar heating panels and using heat pumps Some towns are also installing floating solar canopies over the pool which generate electricity to run the filters while also providing shade to swimmers
7 Are they lowering the water temperature to save money
Yes some pools are keeping the water cooler to save on heating bills They are also reducing the hours of operation to avoid the hottest part of the day which saves on lifeguard costs and energy
