Existing Solutions

Access to water, solidarity, affordability, support

technical

Access to water : Société des Eaux de Marseille proposes some legal and technical solutions to handle various types of emergency situations that may happen in a 1 million-inhabitant developped city, such as temporary illegal settlements, sqats and old dangerous housing.
The solutions are meant to quickly avoid disturbance, protect the public supply network and meet the basic water needs of vulnerable populations with no aim to perpetuate the situation.

Support to low-income families : Société des eaux de Marseille has developped many different every day actions and educational sessions to support lower income families : such as free monthly payments, debt reliefs, personnal attention, partnerships with social institutions and associations, training to and from social workers, early detection of problem social situations, educational on-site support, partnership with energy providers, etc. The solutions are adapted to each different situation and are meant to prevent waste consumption and unpayment.

France

Water Supply company/Public authorities in charge of social subsidies/social workers association.

Early detection of emergency situations and families in need.

The whole range of solutions is adaptable to different situations but need to be enlarged by Law.

The indicator is the number of supported families as compared with the number of families in need on the territory.
However progress is to be done to know precisely what are the needs.
The indicator of number of regular monthly payments is better than the amount of unpayment which seems irrelevant.

All French cities concerned by illegal settlements and squats could be interested as well as all water supply services to enforce the right to water with existing French Law.

As soon as a proper solution is found for access to water for illegal settlements or sqats, disturbance to the public network ends and there is  no more violation of public equipment.
Education support should be systematically provided to families in need of debt relief. With no support and and long-term help it is impossible for lower income families to balance their budget since they do not know how much they consume and how much they pay for it.
Partnership with social workers is essential.
Solutions are to be adapted to each situation.
Partnership with energy suppliers is an advantage and easiness of contact should be encouraged with special local structures.

Private partnerships and public contracts.

 Mrs Lagarde Catherine
catherine.lagarde@eauxdemarseille.fr

Société des Eaux de Marseille – Water Supply Company of Marseille