In collaboration with our member, Eau de Paris, the public drinking water operator of Paris, France, Aqua Publica Europea (APE) organised the public seminar "PROTECTING WATER RESOURCES: TIME TO ACT! Exploring French and European approaches", which was held in the French capital on 29 November.

The seminar focused on addressing water quality issues in France and across Europe, highlighting the importance of preventive measures to better protect water resources. The event featured contributions of the representatives from the European and international institutions, national and local authorities, members of APE, and civil society.

The morning session addressed how the current EU regulatory framework can facilitate the uptake of effective preventive approaches to ensure water quality. Drawing on a review of successful practices from both water operators and public authorities, the session sought to identify the conditions necessary for more effective protection of water resources against increasing pollution pressures.

The first roundtable of the morning session focused on the EU regulatory framework and strategies for upstream water resource protection, bringing together:

Elena Montani, Team Leader at the Marine Environment and Clean Water Services Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Environment, opened the first roundtable by providing an update on the Commission's ongoing efforts to develop a comprehensive strategy on water resilience, outlining the key elements of the strategy. She also presented a concise overview of the recent updates to the Drinking Water Directive (DWD), with a specific focus on Article 8, which requires risk assessment and risk management of water catchment areas through preventive approaches. She finally shed light on the Commission's work to address pollutants in drinking water, including a study by the World Health Organization (WHO) on PFAS.

Kris Van Den Belt, Head of Service for Water Supply and Municipal Wastewater Treatment at Flanders Environment Agency (VMM), followed by presenting Flanders' integrated approach to pollution control at the source. He outlined a new governance framework that integrates environmental and health perspectives, emphasising the shared responsibility between competent authorities and water suppliers to safeguard water quality.

Xavier Leflaive, Principal Administrator at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Environment Directorate, continued with addressing the issue of pollution prevention from an economic perspective. Leflaive, drawing on his work with the OECD, shared insights on how economic regulation can facilitate and integrate preventive interventions. He highlighted two main approaches: the beneficiary-pays principle, where water operators compensate farmers for reducing pollution at the source, and the polluter-pays principle, focusing on the potential and limitations of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes as a tool for addressing pollution.

Sergiy Moroz, Policy Manager for Water and Biodiversity at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), shared his views on the current EU regulatory framework for resource protection. Moroz emphasised the critical importance of proper implementation and enforcement of EU legislation, including the use of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and other economic instruments. He argued that environmental regulation should not be seen as an obstacle to competitiveness or decarbonisation, cautioning against attempts to roll back existing standards as an ineffective response to implementation challenges.

The second roundtable of the morning session showcased the status of water bodies in Europe and some of the best practices of European public water operators.

Caroline Whalley, Expert on Water Industries and Pollution at the European Environment Agency (EEA), presented the main findings and recommendations from the EEA report on the state of water in Europe. She focused on the ongoing pollution pressures impacting water resources across the continent, highlighting key trends and challenges identified in the report and shared her perspectives on the implications of these findings for water operators.

Wolfgang Gruber, Head of Staff at the Unit on Management Systems and Representations of Interest at Vienna Water, described Vienna’s long-standing approach to upstream protection of water resources illustrating the city's comprehensive strategy for catchment protection. Gruber highlighted the role of constitutional law in maintaining these protection zones, as well as keeping the entire water supply under public sovereignty. He also emphasised Vienna’s use of online quality measurements, which provide real-time monitoring of water quality to ensure the continued safety and sustainability of its water resources.

Anne Scherfig, Area Manager at the Greater Copenhagen Water Utility, provided an overview of Copenhagen’s water utility and the current challenges it faces in water management. She described the utility’s key objectives, focusing on how Copenhagen has built up over the time its approach to the protection of the city’s vital groundwater resources, which are increasing threatened by pollution pressures.

Sean Laffey, Director of Asset Management and Sustainability at Uisce Éireann, outlined a management framework for resource protection built on three key pillars: collaboration, understanding risk, and managing risk. He emphasised the importance of working together with public agencies and other stakeholders to identify and address the most pressing risks to water resources. Laffey also discussed the role of collaborative catchment management in mitigating these risks. He noted that many existing agri-environmental schemes are focused on protecting the water environment, and highlighted Uisce Éireann's commitment to working with various stakeholders and agencies to maximise synergies.

The morning session concluded with closing remarks from Christophe Clergeau, Member of the European Parliament and Vice-Chair of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group.

The afternoon session presented Eau de Paris’ strategy for protecting water resources, with particular emphasis on the results of their efforts to promote sustainable agriculture in its water supply and catchment areas. Building on this experience, the final roundtable explored ways to accelerate the recovery of water quality.

The third roundtable showcased examples from France in protecting water resources with:

Sandrine Rocard, Managing Director of the Seine Normandy Water Agency, Dan Lert,  Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of the ecological transition, the climate plan, water and energy, President of Eau de Paris and Vice-President of Aqua Publica Europea, Manon Zakeossian, Head of the Resource Protection and Biodiversity Department at Eau de Paris, Michel Demolder, President of the Rennais Basin Water Authority, Mayor of Pont-Pean, President of the Local Water Commission of the SAGE Vilaine and of the Syndicat du Bassin Versant de la Seiche, and Guillaume Riou, Vice-President of the Nouvelle Aquitaine Regional Council.

It provided an opportunity for Eau de Paris to present the first results of its farmer support programme. Launched in 2020, the initiative is based on an advanced Payment for Environmental Services (PES) model. This programme provides voluntary support to farmers operating in the catchment supply areas managed by Eau de Paris, helping them adopt more sustainable practices, such asintroducing new crops, mechanical weeding, planting cover crops, and adjusting fertilisation methods.

So far, 115 farmers, covering more than 17,300 hectares (58% of which is organic), have partnered with the programme. This represents an area over one and a half times the size of Paris itself. Between 2019 and 2023, the land under organic farming within these areas has quadrupled, increasing from 2,800 hectares to 11,800 hectares. Pesticide use has dropped by 77% in 2023, resulting in 55 tonnes of active pesticide ingredients avoided.

“The programme has significantly reduced pesticide concentrations in groundwater, particularly in areas with strong organic farming growth,” explains Manon Zakeossian, Head of Resource Protection and Biodiversity at Eau de Paris.

The fourth roundtable focused on the challenges to be addressed, with:

Denise Thibault, Vice-President of the Seine Normandy Basin Committee, Member representing approved nature protection associations, Jean Launay, President of the National Water Committee, Laurent Roy, Chair of the Environment, Resources and Risks Section of the General Inspectorate for the Environment and Sustainable Development, and Jean-Claude Raux, Member of Parliament for the Loire-Atlantique department.

The seminar underscored a clear conclusion: effective upstream protection of water resources from pollution sources is the most effective and less expensive way to ensure high water quality. The new Drinking Water Directive requires prioritising preventive measures to mitigate pollution risks at the catchment level, establishing a beneficial synergy with the Water Framework Directive. Many good practices – often relying on stakeholders’ cooperation – already exist, demonstrating that this approach can enhance higher water (and soil) quality, while reducing treatment costs and, ultimately, the water bill.

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• Photo album - photo credit: Axelle de Russé
• Programme

Presentations:

• Elena Montani, European Commission’s Directorate General for Environment

• Kris Van den Belt, Flanders Environment Agency (VMM)

• Caroline Whalley, European Environment Agency (EEA)

• Anne Scherfig, Greater Copenhagen Water Utility