Update with Raphaël Sanchez
We met with the President of the EEASM to piece together the timeline of this thorny issue and understand how we ended up here… as some things are not entirely clear.
The plant, built in the 1970s, is now reaching the end of its useful life, as the treatment of seawater significantly reduces the lifespan of the facilities.
In 2022, two new high-pressure pumps were installed and a mobile unit was made available to SAUR… as the latter was not included in the contract signed in 2018 with the Collectivité, SAUR did not carry out its maintenance. The EEASM has also carried out safety works to keep the old plant operational until the new one comes into service; the network, meanwhile, is being renovated section by section rather than through comprehensive upgrading.
The €35 million project was presented to the Collectivité and the Prefecture and approved at a meeting of funders. The French Development Agency (AFD), the State, the Banque des Territoires and the Collectivité signed an agreement in January 2025 stipulating that part of the funding would come from private sources, that the State (ERDF funds) would contribute €10 million, and that the Collectivité would contribute €12 million. The first €6 million should have been paid in 2025 to start work that same year. Today, the State is ready to disburse its funds to start as soon as possible, and the AFD is already supporting the EEASM with engineering and the design phase, which have also been launched.
Based on estimates for three sites, the Galisbay site was selected as the least expensive. The land on which the plant will be built is currently occupied by the Soremar concession. The Collectivité has yet to transfer the land to the EEASM. Administrations come and go, and water is still not a priority.
In the meantime, SAUR must get the mobile unit back into operation, but this is likely to take a few weeks. The agreement signed in 2023 with the Dutch side could make the situation more bearable for the residents of Saint Martin. The two interconnections – Bellevue and Oyster Pond – are in place. All that remains is for the ARS to carry out tests and give its approval, and this could be done quickly. For private individuals, this should not affect their bills.
