Bordeaux and Lyon are the last two major French cities to have taken over water management.
20 Minutes
wondered about the changes brought about by a public company compared to a private company.
Anne Grosperrin, vice-president of the metropolis of Lyon, cited several examples to illustrate the advantages of a "full recovery of this common good".
Since January 1, 2023, the metropolis of Lyon has taken over the distribution of water and terminated the contract with Veolia, relaunched in 1986, after an initial lease between 1853 and 1900. This is more than ten years later. its neighbour, Grenoble, which was followed by Paris, Rennes, Nice and Montpellier in the 2010s.
"Today, nearly 50% of French people are supplied by public utilities", assures Anne Grosperrin, vice-president of the Lyon metropolitan area, in charge of the water cycle.
She underlines a gradual evolution of this number and notes that “none of the communities has backtracked after making this decision”.
But then, what does it change to go from a private to public management?
The more we consume, the more we pay
For the taxpayer, not much in the immediate future.
In any case, for Lyon, because in Paris, prices had fallen by 8% a year after the creation of the management.
But by 2025, the bill should change for the inhabitants of the Lyon metropolitan area, drawing inspiration from the Dunkirk or Montpellier model.
"A reflection will be launched this year on social and environmental pricing," continues Anne Grosperrin.
We want to offer the first free cubic meters for the poorest and take into account the situations of use according to the people.
To sum up, in two years, prices can be modulated according to the consumption of each.
The more we consume, the more we pay, but with different levels between "essential water" (from 0 to 80 m3 per year), "useful water" (from 81 to 200 m3) and "comfort" water (over 200 m3).
The elected official in charge of the water cycle promised "access to all of us to this vital common good".
The metropolis would like to perpetuate the experiment which took place in 2022 on the drinking water connections of the camps thanks to distribution ramps.
She also wants to create services such as “public showers” for the “more than 18,000 people in the territory who do not have stable housing and who live in precarious conditions”.
The vice-president recalls that Veolia was not "intended to carry out this kind of mission" and then underlines the importance of the "full recovery of the metropolis".
Diversify catches “just in case”
Another aspect that does not necessarily concern a private company: the preservation of the resource and a “long-term vision on questions of quality and quantity”.
“We are going towards its rarefaction, launches Anne Grosperrin.
We cannot remain on the commodification of water with a private company seeking to make a profit in order to pay dividends to its shareholders.
From now on, everything will be for the benefit of the service in order to improve it.
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Among the priorities, the diversification of catchments.
Currently, 92% of the water consumed by the 1.4 million inhabitants of the metropolis comes from a single catchment, in Crépieux-Charmy.
“In case the main source is polluted or if there is a problem, it is important to have other sources to ensure supply to all, explains the elected official.
We are going to capture the aquifers in the east of Lyon while anticipating the scarcity of the resource.
Scientists predict a 30% reduction in the flow of the Rhône in the coming years.
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"Efficient" management
This idea has been tested and validated on the Côte d'Azur for several years.
By taking over management in 2013, the Nice metropolitan area developed its power sources but also took the opportunity to improve the entire network, particularly in the hinterland.
“We then saw the effectiveness of the Eau d'Azur management during the Alex storm, when bringing water back to the affected metropolitan valleys, illustrates that responsible for the water cycle.
Here too, regaining control of technical mastery is essential.
We can thus see that a public company has the skills to manage.
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The vice-president of the metropolis of Lyon specifies that the community is part of the France public water network.
"We relied on everyone's experiences to think about what we can put in place on our territory," she says.
She cites the example of Paris water and its policy of “protection of catchments which are very far from the capital and from the entire network” which has enabled her to save money and reinvest.
“There are only positive returns and inspiring practices in having public governance, regardless of political preferences.
This common challenge overcomes differences,” she concludes.
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