Mauritius plans to requisition up to 20 boreholes due to drought — The Rio Times
Mauritian authorities are considering requisitioning another 15 to 20 boreholes to connect them to the centralized water supply system due to drought. Energy and Public Utilities Minister Patrick Assirvaden announced the plan after inspecting the facilities on October 24, 2026, The Rio Times reports.
Additional water sources
The minister instructed the Water Resources Unit to compile a list of 15–20 boreholes that could be requisitioned and connected to the network. These include public and private facilities. The first new connections could begin operating 15–20 days after the inspection, subject to technical feasibility, he estimated.
In Côte d'Or, a borehole requisitioned from Landscope provides 1.2 million liters of water per day to the Côte d'Or, Saint-Pierre and Helvetia areas. A borehole in Valentina, operating since October 19, can supply up to 4,840 cubic meters of water per day to Phoenix, Midlands and other areas. The first phase, covering four boreholes, is expected to provide more than 10,000 cubic meters of water daily.
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Reservoir levels have declined
Water reserves in the country's main reservoirs stood at 57.1% as of October 8, compared with 87.4% in 2025. The Mare-aux-Vacoas reservoir, which supplies water to the La Marie treatment plant, was 35.7% full. The volume of water flowing from it to La Marie fell from about 110,000 to less than 50,000 cubic meters per day.
According to the government, groundwater already provides 46% of the country's domestic water supply through 181 boreholes. In the Upper Plaines Wilhems region, water is distributed alternately among areas. Authorities are also deploying water tankers, installing reservoirs and laying pipelines from the Tamarind Falls and Mare Longue reservoirs.
Assirvaden asked the Finance Ministry and the prime minister to allocate more than 700 million Mauritian rupees, or about $14.9 million, to accelerate water projects. Among long-term initiatives, the government is considering a feasibility study for a seawater desalination plant.
