Policy of land acquisitions and water resource protection

Abstract

Eau de Paris leads for more than twenty years a policy of land acquisitions in the vulnerable zones of catchment areas for its mission of sustainable management of the ground water resources which supply the capital. The intended action in natural and rural environment is complementary to other measures to protect and restore water quality (territorial facilitation, studies, expert assessment and consulting, regulation, agri-environmental contracts, ...). This approach mainly concerns limiting pollution risks of layers and also being a model and a lever for agricultural practices favorable for water resource conservation, for example: the preservation of the existing meadows, realization of buffer zones in the banks of rivers and chasms or the development of organic farming. By the occasional technical cooperation of SAFER and financial support of Water Agency of Seine-Normandie, Eau de Paris purchased around 988 acres including 680 acres in land rents with twenty-one farmers who have to respect environmental contract clauses with a reduced rent in return.