4. Water and wastewater utilities in France

Catchment-treatment-distribution-collection-purification are the five stages of the water cycle. The management of these stages is the responsibility of municipalities or their groupings through public water and wastewater services.

These water and wastewater services were set up under the French Water and Aquatic Environments Act (Loi sur l'eau et les milieux aquatiques, or "LEMA") no. 2006-1772 of December 30, 2006, and are the responsibility of municipalities or groups of municipalities. In particular, the local authority (commune or group of communes) is responsible for organizing the services, choosing the management method, setting tariffs, investment policy and social policy.

Their missions are as follows:

• drinking water service: water collection, treatment, distribution and customer...