Mauritius Water Cuts Threaten Hairdressers' Peak Season in Eau-Coulée

November is normally when hairdressers across Mauritius start preparing for their busiest weeks of the year. Corporate end-of-year parties, Christmas celebrations and New Year's Eve gatherings all drive a surge in demand for hair treatments, styling and technical services. But this year, a prolonged dry spell has added a serious obstacle: water rationing enforced by the Central Water Authority, known as the CWA.

The CWA is the state body responsible for water production and distribution across Mauritius. Facing critically low reservoir levels after an unusually dry start to the wet season, the authority has introduced alternate-day water supply in several parts of the island, including the Eau-Coulée area in the Curepipe district of the central plateau. Under this schedule, running water is available only every other day, leaving homes and businesses without supply for 24 hours at a stretch.

For a hair salon, water is not optional. Washing, rinsing, applying colour treatments and mixing chemical products all depend on a reliable supply. Stephan, who owns a local hair salon, spoke to ION News about how he and his team are adapting. Rather than turning clients away, they have been working with large pitchers and buckets to manually carry and distribute water during cut days, making each litre count.

"My team and I are trying to save water by using pitchers for washing," Stephan said, noting that this approach has been in place for several months already. The method works for routine cuts, but it becomes much harder to manage during the busy festive period when demand for more water-intensive services, such as colouring, chemical straightening and deep-conditioning treatments, rises sharply.

The pressure is both practical and financial. The end-of-year period represents a critical revenue window for small businesses like independent salons, and losing clients to competitors with better water access, or simply turning bookings away, could mean a serious shortfall heading into the new year.

Stepha's situation is far from unique. Small traders, food businesses and beauty services across the central plateau and other rationed zones are all navigating the same constraints. The dry weather has delayed the seasonal rains that normally replenish reservoirs such as La Nicoliere and Midlands Dam, which supply much of the island's water.

What this means: For residents and visitors in affected areas, water disruptions are likely to continue until meaningful rainfall arrives and reservoir levels recover. Small service businesses are absorbing the cost through extra labour and logistical workarounds, with little formal support available. Consumers should expect some salons and other water-dependent services to operate on adjusted schedules or with limited capacity until conditions improve.

Source: ION News