Paris' drinking water supply areas : from water transfer to resource conservation ; Les territoires d'approvisionnement en eau potable de Paris : du transfert à la préservation des ressources

Abstract

Like many large cities, Paris relies on relatively remote rural areas for its drinking water supply. Half the volume of water distributed in the French capital comes from groundwater collected in the Seine watershed, 100 to 150 km away. Contemporary water conservation issues raise questions about the changing relationships between the city and the territories on which urban water is abstracted. Two time periods are analyzed : first, the implementation of water transfers to Paris from the end of 19th century and then, the establishment of groundwater protection policies since the 1990s. The thesis has two purposes : first, to analyze the evolution of the discourse on urban water-related projects, from a political ecology perspective ; then, to understand how water conservation issues are perceived and integrated at the scale of water catchment areas. The research focuses on the case of the Voulzie, Durteint and Dragon catchments (Seine-et-Marne) and the Vigne catchment (Eure, Eure-et-Loir, Orne). Using quantitative and qualitative approaches, the methodology is based on a variety of sources. The analysis of historical records and various documents is complemented by semi-structured interviews, field observations and surveys. The results underline the evolution of the discourse on urban water-related projects and the (re)definition of hydrosocial territories in the context of environmental issues. At the catchment scale, the discourses are confronted with a study of the geographical factors that play a role in the territorial implication of local communities regarding water conservation policies. The thesis shows that the parisian municipality uses an inclusive and win-win discourse to align local territorialities with the Parisian hydrosocial territory. This discourse relies on the spatiality of local drinking water networks to foster the implication of stakeholders. However, the field survey points out several factors undermining this implication. A specific hydrosocial territory is emerging, distinct from the ...