Nine municipalities in Seine-Saint-Denis are seeking to increase their supply of water from Paris.
The public utility formed by the nine municipalities is now supplied with 29% of its water by ‘Eau de Paris’, the Blue Community / Blue City of Paris’ public water operator. Through this partnership, the intermunicipal authority aims to provide cheaper water.
Est Ensemble is expanding its public water supply, with a quarter of the territory now being supplied by Eau de Paris. Following the successful initial interconnection in February, Eau Publique par Est Ensemble and Eau de Paris are taking a significant further step with the opening of a second physical connection between their networks. This strengthening of the partnership reaffirms the authority’s commitment to transitioning away from private water supply and reclaiming public control of this essential resource. The aim is to provide subscribers with a fairer, more transparent and sustainable service. Read on for details of these key steps in the strategy to diversify supply sources.
From private delegation to public water: Est Ensemble is accelerating its transition by leveraging a new interconnection with Eau de Paris.
Since 10 February 2025, Est Ensemble residents have been benefiting from the first water supplies from Eau de Paris, thanks to the activation of an initial physical connection between the networks. This marked the first decisive step in the strategy to diversify drinking water supply sources, which previously depended exclusively on the water treatment plants of the Syndicat des Eaux d’Île-de-France (SEDIF), operated by Franciliane, a private contractor.
A second connection has been operational since Friday 18 July, significantly increasing the volume of water distributed by Eau de Paris to more than 19,000 m³ per day, compared to 5,000 m³ previously. Nearly a quarter of the territory is now supplied in this way.
This deployment forms part of an amendment to the wholesale drinking water supply agreement with Eau de Paris, which provides for a gradual increase in the volumes purchased: 3.5 million m³ in 2025, increasing to 8 million m³ in 2026.
Users will benefit from this agreement in several ways
Through this agreement, Eau Publique par Est Ensemble is reaffirming its commitment to improving public water services, providing clear benefits for users.
- greater control over water prices, limiting long-term rate increases
- increased investment capacity in assets and infrastructure to improve service quality
- Reduced dependence on a private operator guarantees the public and transparent management of an essential resource.
By diversifying its sources of supply, Eau Publique par Est Ensemble is gaining independence and securing its service while confirming its commitment to building a fairer, more sustainable model of public water management.
Est Ensemble is accelerating its supply with Eau de Paris
The public water authority, formed by nine municipalities in Seine-Saint-Denis, now receives 29% of its water from the Parisian operator. By Marie Delumeau
The Est Ensemble public drinking water authority is stepping up its partnership with Eau de Paris. The public territorial institution, which brings together nine municipalities in Seine-Saint-Denis, including Montreuil, Pantin and Bagnolet, announced in mid-September that it had commissioned a second connection to Eau de Paris‘s network. Eau de Paris is responsible for water production and distribution in the capital. Located in Bagnolet, this facility previously served as a backup interconnection between Eau de Paris and the Syndicat des eaux d’Île-de-France (Sedif).
The public water company, Eau Publique par Est Ensemble, established an initial physical connection with Eau de Paris in February. The volume of water distributed by the Parisian operator has increased from 5,000 m³ to 19,000 m³ per day. ‘This new interconnection means that 29% of Est Ensemble‘s water supply is now provided by Eau de Paris,’ says Jean-Claude Oliva, the intermunicipal authority’s vice president in charge of water and the public utility company’s president.
Economic interest
This increase in capacity is part of Eau Publique par Est Ensemble‘s strategy to diversify its suppliers and reduce its dependence on the Syndicat des Eaux d’Île-de-France (Sedif). Although the nine municipalities left Sedif to form their own water authority, which has been operational since January 2024, they still obtain their water from Sedif.
‘For us, this new partnership is of economic interest because the water supplied by Eau de Paris is cheaper than that of Sedif,’ explains Jean-Claude Oliva. ‘We plan to increase the percentage of water supplied by Eau de Paris further in the coming years, reaching 50% by 2030.’
