City of Lights, City of Water: Paris’s Water Revolution

The French capital has revolutionized its water management system, reclassifying the resource as a common good instead of a profitable commodity.

“We needed to have a democratic control of water. This allows us to have a longterm vision and we can reinvest everything back into the service, unlike the profit-making private sector,” says Dan Lert, president of public water service, Eau de Paris.

Reducing prices and preventing pollution have been critical pillars of the project that began in 2009. Since then, water-related greenhouse gas emissions in the city have been reduced by 25 percent, making Paris a shining example for other major cities worldwide. Moreover, the once un-swimmable Seine River is getting cleaned up, where part of the summer 2024 Olympics will be hosted. “We must do everything to protect this resource and improve its quality,” concludes Lert.