This chapter analyses the paradox of continued promotion of drip irrigation through state subsidies and donor-funded projects, on the basis of claims of water savings that are rarely backed up with evidence. Focusing on groundwater, two questions are proposed to unravel this double paradox: why is there increased pressure on groundwater resources despite the use of (purportedly) efficient drip irrigation? And why do actors continue to use the water saving argument for drip irrigation without ever measuring the claimed water conservation outcomes? These questions are illustrated through a case study in North Africa.