From Communes to Communities: The Invisible Revolution of Water Services in France

The Chevènement Law (Law n?99-586 on reinforcement and simplification of intermunicipal cooperation) lead to a profound reorganisation of French local governments. Available data show that this reform has significantly transformed water services perimeters, but did impact neither the price, nor the quality of water services, nor even management modes.
The effects of these changes will presumably appear only in the longer run. However available tools for monitoring water and sanitation services are insufficient, especially as they ignore the organisational dimension of service provision. The consequences of the reorganisation into communities may therefore remain invisible.