MAURITIUS · WATER · INDIAN OCEAN
Mauritius wants to take over up to 20 more boreholes, meaning drilled water wells, to keep taps running as drought drains its Mare aux Vacoas reservoir, which was just over a third full on 8 October.
Key Facts
- —What happened Mauritius’s energy minister is seeking 15 to 20 more boreholes to feed the public water network.
- —When Toured sites Saturday 24 October 2026; first connections hoped for within 15 to 20 days.
- —The volumes One requisitioned borehole gives 1.2 million litres a day, about 317,000 US gallons.
- —The money He asked for more than Rs 700 million (about US$14.9 million) to speed up water projects.
- —US angle The US advisory is Level 2, exercise increased caution; tap water is unsafe to drink.
Mauritius is considering taking over 15 to 20 more boreholes to feed its public network during a water crisis that left the Mare aux Vacoas reservoir 35.7% full on 8 October. Energy and Public Utilities Minister Patrick Assirvaden outlined the plan on Saturday 24 October 2026 after visiting borehole sites, the Mauritian outlet Defi Media reported.
For US readers, it matters because Mauritius is a holiday destination where the State Department already advises increased caution, and the drought follows a week of riots and curfews. Cabinet puts the water emergency in the Upper Plaine-Wilhems region, and no official source checked says tourist areas are cut off.
In Plain English
- Borehole: a narrow well drilled into the ground to pump groundwater; Cabinet says the ones in use are owned by Government and by private entities.
- Requisition: an order by which the government takes over the use of a borehole, often a private one, so its water can feed the public network.
- Mare aux Vacoas: the reservoir that feeds the La Marie treatment plant; it was 35.7% full on 8 October.
- Cubic metre: 1,000 litres, or about 264 US gallons; the Central Water Authority (CWA) is the body that runs the public supply.
What the Minister Announced
Assirvaden spent Saturday 24 October visiting borehole sites in Tribeca, Côte-d’Or and Valentina, Defi Media reported. He asked the ministry’s Water Resources Unit for a list of 15 to 20 more boreholes that could be requisitioned and connected to the network, due on Monday 26 October.
At Côte-d’Or, a borehole requisitioned from Landscope gives 1.2 million litres a day (about 317,000 US gallons) to Côte-d’Or, Saint-Pierre and Helvétia. At Valentina, a borehole working since Monday 19 October can yield 4,840 cubic metres a day (about 1.28 million US gallons) for Phoenix, Midlands and other areas.
A first operation covering four boreholes should supply more than 10,000 cubic metres a day, and the minister hopes the first new connections can be made in 15 to 20 days. Defi Media quoted him, in substance, as saying that the situation is not improving.
The CWA still has to decide how to share the new volumes between regions. Whether a site can be connected depends on its flow and on technical feasibility, Defi Media reported.
Why Mauritius Has a Water Crisis
Drought has pulled the reservoirs down: Cabinet noted on Friday 9 October that water storage in the main reservoirs stood at 57.1% on 8 October, against 87.4% in 2025. Mare aux Vacoas, which feeds the La Marie treatment plant, stood at 35.7%.
Its contribution to La Marie has fallen from about 110,000 to under 50,000 cubic metres a day, Defi Media reported on Sunday 25 October. On 2 October the same outlet reported that Water Resources Commission forecasts given to the CWA show the reservoir could reach a critical 20% around the end of November.
Boreholes already carry a large share of the load, because the ministry says groundwater supplies 46% of domestic water through 181 boreholes. The new requisitions would add to that base, and Defi Media says the CWA is looking at existing boreholes, notably on private property.
Timeline
- Friday 2 October: Cabinet notes a water crisis committee under the energy minister.
- Friday 9 October: Cabinet adds measures, including nine boreholes and a tank grant for all homes.
- Friday 16 October: Cabinet creates an inter-ministerial water committee under the Prime Minister.
- Saturday 24 October: Assirvaden tours sites and asks for 15 to 20 more boreholes.
- Monday 26 October: the list of candidate boreholes is due.
What Else the Government Is Doing
Cabinet noted on Friday 23 October that measures in the Upper Plaine-Wilhems region now allow water distribution on alternate days, region by region. They include 14 additional government and private boreholes, water tankers, 10 reservoirs of 30,000 litres and the recruitment of 70 CWA staff.
A pump at the Mare Longue reservoir is due to send about 10,000 cubic metres of water to La Marie from the week of 26 October, Cabinet said. Two medium-term pipelines are being laid, one from Tamarind Falls for around 20,000 cubic metres of extra inflow and one from Mare Longue for 12,000 more.
On Friday 9 October Cabinet agreed to extend the grant for household water tanks and pumps to every home without a tank, listing Rs 10,000 for two tanks, Rs 4,000 for a pump and up to Rs 1,000 for fittings, or up to Rs 15,000 (about US$319) in all. The minister has asked for more than Rs 700 million (about US$14.9 million) to bring forward projects planned for later, using Rs 47 per US dollar, the rate at which the Bank of Mauritius sold dollars on Thursday 22 October, as Defi Media reported.
Defi Media reported that boreholes and transfers alone will not protect the country from future droughts, and that Assirvaden raised sea-water desalination as a long-term option. Cabinet lists a feasibility study for a desalination plant among its long-term initiatives.
What It Means for US Readers
The US State Department rates Mauritius Level 2, exercise increased caution, in an advisory issued on Monday 8 December 2025. It says tap water is not safe to drink and tells visitors to avoid demonstrations.
State Department Advisory
- Level: 2, exercise increased caution, issued 8 December 2025.
- Tap water: the advisory says it is not safe to drink.
- Demonstrations: avoid them, because even events meant to be peaceful can turn violent.
- Latest update: none since 8 December 2025, before the riots and the water cuts.
Defi Media reported on Sunday that low volumes and weak pressure still keep water from some homes in Floréal and around Curepipe, so visitors staying there could meet supply gaps. No official source checked says hotels or resorts are affected.
Cabinet records riots in several localities during the week of 12 to 18 October, and on Friday 16 October it agreed to nightly curfews from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. for the nights of 16, 17 and 18 October. On Friday 23 October it credited police and firefighters with restoring peace and order and said the Prime Minister, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, will open consultations on the causes.
What Is Not Known
The list of 15 to 20 boreholes was due on Monday 26 October, and neither its sites nor their owners have been published. It is also not stated how much water the new sites could add, whether owners will be paid, or under which law the requisitions are made.
Defi Media gave no capacity for the two other boreholes visited at Valentina, and the CWA has not said how the new volumes will be shared. Nor is it known whether the Finance Ministry has approved the Rs 700 million (about US$14.9 million) request.
Rainfall is the biggest unknown, because Cabinet cited a dry weather forecast on 2 October. Questions filed for the National Assembly sitting of Tuesday 27 October cover the Mare aux Vacoas reservoir, a 2024 borehole agreement between Medine Limited and the CWA, and supply in La Caverne and Phoenix, which may add figures.
Connected Coverage
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to requisition a borehole?
The government takes over the use of a borehole, often a private one, so its water can feed the public network. The Central Water Authority then connects it to its pipes.
How full are Mauritius’s reservoirs?
Cabinet said water storage in the main reservoirs stood at 57.1% on 8 October 2026, against 87.4% in 2025. Mare aux Vacoas, which feeds the La Marie treatment plant, stood at 35.7%.
Is the water crisis a reason to avoid Mauritius?
No official source checked says tourist areas are cut off, and the US advisory is Level 2, exercise increased caution. Visitors staying around Curepipe or in the Upper Plaine-Wilhems region should ask their host about supply.
How much money does the minister want?
He asked the Finance Ministry and the Prime Minister for more than Rs 700 million (about US$14.9 million), Defi Media reported. The money would speed up projects first planned for the longer term.
When will the new boreholes start supplying water?
Assirvaden hopes the first connections can be made within 15 to 20 days, which counted from his Saturday 24 October visit means about 8 to 13 November. That depends on the list of sites and on technical checks.
Sources: Defi Media, Crise de l’eau : Patrick Assirvaden envisage la réquisition de 15 à 20 forages supplémentaires, 24 October 2026, Defi Media, Crise hydrique : vingt forages supplémentaires recherchés en urgence, 25 October 2026, Defi Media, Mare-aux-Vacoas sous pression, 2 October 2026, Government of Mauritius, Highlights of Cabinet Meeting, 23 October 2026, 16 October 2026, 9 October 2026, 2 October 2026, Prime Minister’s Office, List of Ministers, National Assembly of Mauritius, Parliamentary Questions for Tuesday 27 October 2026, Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, Water Resources Unit, Defi Media, Bank of Mauritius dollar sale at Rs 47, 22 October 2026, US State Department, Mauritius travel advisory. All retrieved 25 October 2026. An L’Express article with the same headline exists, but its page could not be opened by The Rio Times.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief