Control of fresh water and water for human consumption

The commonplace nature of the water that surrounds us sometimes makes us forget that this liquid, so familiar to us, is in fact the most essential fluid for life.

The history of water is intertwined with that of humanity, and all industrial development has been built in partnership with water.

A vital element for man, water is :

• indispensable for the fundamental role it plays in its metabolism;

• necessary to improve hygiene and comfort in living conditions;

• useful for the security and progress of its food supply.

These days, 24-hour access to drinking water at home is a comfort to which the French, and Europeans in general, have become so accustomed that they are not always aware that they live in a privileged part of the world.

Every year, in the Third World, millions of people are deprived of the water they need, and still die from drinking unsafe water.

Today, it seems that the French are increasingly sensitive to the quality of the water they are supplied with, and more and more keen to be informed about its origin, composition and the quality controls it undergoes.

The quest for quality, which governs the entire production and distribution process, is the primary and constant concern of water professionals.

Expressed in terms of water flow, it requires in-depth analytical knowledge of the water available, with a view to :

• selecting the best natural raw water resource;

• the definition of the purification treatments required to reduce the levels of compounds considered undesirable to values (or within a range of values) set by the standards;

• constant monitoring through repeated checks to guarantee the quality of the water distributed.