The Strategic Framework for the Public Drinking Water Service

• Addressing the increasing scarcity of water resources, particularly the projected 30% decrease in Rhône River flow by 2050.
• Strengthening the role of the Lyon Metropolis in water governance to secure, allocate, and conserve resources effectively.
• Moving beyond a purely technical management approach to actively addressing external factors (climate change, urban development pressures, pollution prevention, and the energy transition) impacting water service operations.

The main answer to address the needs was to create a public water company Eau du Grand Lyon, in order to manage water as a common good. The objectives are :

• Guaranteeing continuous and high-quality public water service over the long term.
• Upholding the fundamental right to safe drinking water for all.
• Encouraging citizen participation in water service management to promote public engagement and improvement.
• Securing production and distribution systems to withstand crises and long-term vulnerabilities.
• Anticipating resource vulnerability and integrating climate resilience into future planning.
• Preventing industrial, domestic, and agricultural pollution.
• Aligning public water service management with broader policies, especially water cycle policies, for a coherent approach.

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The Strategic Framework for the Public Drinking Water Service (2021-2035) established by the Métropole de Lyon aims to ensure a sustainable and resilient water supply in the face of challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity. This initiative is part of a broader shift in water management, transitioning to a public governance model through the establishment of a publicly owned and financially autonomous entity (Régie) for the operation of the drinking water service, effective from January 1, 2023. This comprehensive strategy is built upon six key axes:

• Preserving Water Resources
• Securing Long-Term Supply and Crisis Resilience
• Strengthening User Engagement
• Efficient and Sustainable Asset Management
• Continuous Performance Improvement
• Enhancing Policy Coherence.

This strategy is expected to deliver significant results, including:

• Preserve the resource by limiting pollution at the source, for example by promoting the adoption of agro-environmental, particularly in eastern Lyon.
• Decreasing per-subscriber drinking water consumption by 15% by 2035.
• Reducing water losses in the in the production and distribution systemby 20% by 2035.
• Unsealing 500 hectares of land by 2030, with priority given to eastern Lyon.
• Encouraging a stormwater management approach that helps preserve drinking water resources.
• Achieving a 1% annual pipeline renewal rate, increasing to 1.3% for feeders by 2035.

• Political support: Strong backing from the elected official of water management, as well as from the president of the metropole, facilitated the adoption and the implementation of the strategy.

• Citizen participation: Civil society representatives were appointed to the Board of Directors of the public water utility (Régie), including user representatives. This helped ensure that user preferences were taken into account in decision-making.
• Alignment with national and European policies: The strategy aligns with broader national and European policy frameworks, which has eased its implementation. For example, since 2023, under the French “Access to Water for All” initiative within the national social water policy, local government have been able to adopt social water policies, made possible by the law in engagement in local life and proximity in public action.

• Implementation within a new governance structure: The establishment of the Régie as a new public water management entity presented some initial difficulties due to its novelty and to successfully complete the project. New staff needed to be recruited, and operational processes had to be adjusted. The pre-implementation phase was challenging, in a very tight schedule (2 year).

• Monitoring and evaluation framework active: The 49 technical and political indicators defined in the strategy are already being tracked and reviewed quarterly or biannually, with early results used to inform decisions, showing that the strategy’s accountability system is in place and functioning.
• Participatory Governance Now Operational: Citizen and user representatives are now fully integrated into the utility’s board, giving residents direct influence in water governance for the first time, a concrete step beyond traditional consultation.

As the strategy is still ongoing, such evidence will have to be regularly monitored.

• Embed citizens in governance: Move beyond consultation: include citizens or user representatives in formal governance bodies to enhance transparency, legitimacy, and responsiveness.
• Design for Resilience from Day One: Use strategic planning to address long-term challenges like climate change, ageing infrastructure, or inequality in water access. Make resilience central, not peripheral.
• Build a Culture of Evaluation: Define and monitor indicators regularly, not just technical KPIs but also political and social ones. Public reporting helps drive accountability and course correction.​​​​​​​

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