Scarcity Narratives and Water Scarcity in Early Modern Paris (1660s-1730s)

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Abstract: This paper examines how the governance of drinking water in early modern Paris emerged from a specific historical construction of “scarcity.” It argues that water scarcity was not a permanent or natural condition but a narrative strategically mobilized by municipal and royal authorities—most notably in the reforms of the 1660s and 1670s under Louis XIV and Colbert—to expand municipal power, reorganize administrative procedures, and redefine rights over water in Paris and its surrounding villages. Through annual inspections and record‑keeping requirements, and the regulation of water privileges, the 1672 ordinance transformed water supply into a municipal responsibility akin to a public service.