Beneath Monaco’s towers lies a resource few residents think about: natural spring water…
The Principality counts six local sources which together provide roughly one third of daily consumption. Among them, the Testimonio spring in Larvotto is one of the most important — and one of the best protected — despite the massive real-estate developments rising around it.
Water used in Monaco follows two paths: local production from springs treated within the Principality, and external supply arriving from Nice via the Canal de Vésubie or from Italy through the Roya. The Société Monégasque des Eaux operates a production plant directly beneath Larvotto to process both sources and ensure a constant, safe supply.
At Testimonio, engineers went to great lengths to preserve the spring during the construction of the Testimonio II complex. Collection tanks were shifted, drainage redesigned and new pipelines laid to ensure the flow continues unharmed. The water is now channelled into a recovery basin before being pumped just a few hundred metres to Larvotto’s treatment plant. This second-largest production point, behind only the Saint-Dévote source, is vital to Monaco’s resilience.
For the Société Monégasque des Eaux, safeguarding resources also means educating the public. New information panels show residents the Principality’s level of dependence on external water and encourage more careful usage. “People see water running from the tap and assume it’s limitless, but protecting and monitoring our springs is essential for the future,” officials explain.
At Larvotto, the Testimonio spring quietly flows at the foot of the skyscrapers — a reminder that even in one of the world’s most urbanised states, precious natural resources still lie beneath our feet and depend on vigilance to endure.
