Joint workshop on Enhancing efficiency and sustainability of Water Supply and Sanitation presentation - Joseph Hermal, Contribution of SDEA, France

1. ENHANCING SUSTAINABILITY AND EFFICIENCY
OF WSS PROVISION
Contribution of SDEA
Joseph HERMAL, Managing Director

2. 1. – Over the past 80 years, a lasting endeavour to constantly reinvent
itself for the public good
From a municipal regional
service provider
50  737 local authorities
TERRITORIES
From fragmented governance to
a subsidiarity principle
(think global, act local)
From the operation of water supply
services to integrated and
sustainable management of water
resources
 100+ skills / inter disciplinary
From local knowledge to high-
level expertise and skills,
industrial processes, top-level
management, and digital
transformation
 SDEA = on a par with SUEZ et
VEOLIA
GOVERNANCE
MANAGEMENT
ET METHODS
CORE BUSINESSES
1939-1998
From a municipal (Service des Eaux de
Strasbourg-Campagne) to a district
(département) service provider, supporting local
authorities for water supply
1998 - 2014
Transformation to an inter-municipal authority
(Syndicat des Eaux et
de l’Assainissement du Bas-Rhin - SDEA) with shared –
and then full – responsability
2014 - now
SDEA becomes a regional body (Syndicat des Eaux et
de l’Assainissement Alsace- Moselle)+ in charge of water
resources management + cross-cutting issues in the
jurisdiction of inter-municipal authorities
2
An agile institutional, economic, technical model, increasingly integrated, in line with dramatic change in
water-related challenges; a source of inspiration in France and in Europe

3. 2. – From WSS to WRM, in line with the challenges faced by larger
territories (Alsace – Moselle)
SDEA, a role model for water resources management in France and in Europe
3
Small water
cycle
Drinking water
since
1939
410
member communes
→ Production
→ Transportation
→ Distribution of drinking
water
Sanitation
since
1958
525
member communes
→ Collection
→ Transportation
→ Treatment of
wastewater and
stormwater
→ Non-collective
sanitation (NCS)
since
2015
661
member communes
→ Management of aquatic
environments
→ Flood prevention
→ Soil erosion control
→ Co-ordination -
consultation on river
basins
Large water
cycle
737
communes
1 070 000
inhabitants
240
water tanks
6 500 km
of rivers
11 500 km
of water and
sewage
networks
120
treatment
plants

4. Reception of
elected
representatives
and clients
24/24 alert and
crisis response
A one-stop shop less than 30’ away from any water user
3. – Management that combines shared functions and place-based
services, for optimal service provision at local level
11 local sites
Place-based service provision contributes to responsiveness and
offers integrated service that benefits local authorities and users
4
SDEA centres and sub-offices
Operation of
networks,
structures and
waterways
Administrative
and financial
management
Routine studies
and monitoring
of works
User/customer
billing

5. 4. – The subsidiarity principle, as the foundation of governance and
management
Global
scale
Territorial
scale
Synergies and joint
projects
Local
scale
Local management
Local
branches
Integrated local service,
less than 30’ away from
any water user, thanks to
local branches
General vision and
economies of scale
Headquar
ter
Shared expertise around
clusters of skills, resources,
methods and tools, to
support local branches
A landmark institutional
and organisational model
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6. 5. – 3-tier governance, which places elected officials at the centre of
strategising, decision making and practice
6
LEVEL ROLES
At the global level, the interdepartmental consultation and decision-making bodies decide on SDEA's overall policy.
GLOBAL
LEVEL
Overall policy and economies of scale
Adapting the common tool to challenges
Pooling of financing capacities ...
At the territorial level, the bodies facilitate synergies and encourage joint projects.
TERRITORIAL
LEVEL
Inter-area consultations
Synergies and joint projects
Pooling of local investments
At the local level, the local commissions manage the area under their remit.
LOCAL
LEVEL
Place-based management
Analytical financial management - definition of tariffs and financing
Investment programme and award of works contracts
Monitoring of local affairs

7. 7 territories for WSS
5 territories for WRM
To go beyond local understanding of
water-related issues, exploit synergies,
coordinate action and support sharing of
tools and resources, and coordinated
project design
6. – Elected officials engaged in territorial challenges related to water
resources management
7
WATER SUPPLY & SANITATION
TERRITORIES (WSS)
LARGE WATER CYCLE
RIVER BASIN
TERRITORIES (WRM)

8. 8
7. – A range of support activities for elected officials
Many more information support tools available at www.sdea.fr

9. 1.49 €
0.35 €
0.05 €
0.10 €
0,18 €
0.23 €
1.62 €
Average WSS tariff for a territory
(tax included /m3)
8. – Place-based analytical financial management, with
independent budgeting and tariff setting - an illustration
€1.51/m3
Kientzheim: €1.75/m3
Kaysersberg: €1.74/m3
Sigolsheim: €1.94/m3
€1.72/m3 -
LVHK €2.98/m3
€1.47/m3
€1.25/m3
€1.48/m3
€1.32/m3
€1.36/m3
€1.60/m3
€1.21/m3
€1.85/m3
€1.05/m3
€ 1.76/m3
€1.81/m3
€1.34/m3
€1.61/m3
€4.03
incl. tax
€2.00 incl. tax
€2.03 incl. tax
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Average tariff Sanitation (ex. tax)
AERM modernisation charge
VAT Sanitation
Average tariff for drinking water (ex. tax)
AERM Pollution charge
AERM abstraction charge
VAT Drinking water

10. 9. Coverging towards a uniform tariff, set at local level - an
illustration
10
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
2.40
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Towards converging tariffs
Average
Average
2,00 €/m3 TTC
1,72 €/m3 HT
1,89 €/m3 TTC
- 5,5%
Fix fee
0.75
Consumption
based fee
1.10
VAT 0.17
Tarif 2021

11. 10. – A wide range of skills to support public good and territories
Organisational
resources and
skills regularly
updated
A wide range of
technical and
professional
skills
Diverse
technical
resources
State of the art
information
technology
11
650 staff,
70 senior staff
Training, innovation,
connecting skills,
foresight
> 100 professional skills
(technical, managerial,
communications…)
Specialised equipment to
wok on-site
A state-of-the-art lab
Digitisation (SAP,
Maintenance, geographical
information sytems, and
more)

12. Sharing and mutualising, for the public good
11. – Strong values and a collaborative model that delivers value for
money
Strong values A collaborative model that delivers value for
money compared to delegated management
Economies of scale
and productivity
gains are reinvested
locally
Sustainable
management
Governance
model.
Engagement of
elected staff at
all levels
Capacity to
reflect WRM
challenges
Sharing
resources
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STRONG VALUES
"The management [elected representatives and employees] are
exemplary and convey the vision both internally and externally to
stakeholders. "
EFQM - AFAQ 26000 - 2015 report
Responsibility
Place-based
Solidarity
Sense of
public service Excellence

13. 13
12. – Public policies that factor in WRM-related challenges, climate
change, and sustainability
Circular
economy
Asset
management
with
optimised
costs
Integrated
vision of small
and large
water cycle
Factoring in
climate
change
Preservation
of resources,
environments
and
biodiversity
Water at the
interface of public
policies:
PLUi, Plan climat,
TEPOS, CTEC, Trame
verte et bleue

14. 13. – Growing and flexible partnerships
for the public good
Engagement with civil society
organsiations
- Professional bodies (control of diffuse
pollution, communication…)
- Local partners and relays
- CSOs and NGOs involved in joint construction,
implementation and reviews of policies and
programmes
Shifting partnership with inter-communal
authorities
- Co-construction of place-based policy for
WSS and WRM
- Pluriannual planning for investment, in
concertation
- A place-based dialogue and partneship to
promote sustainable farming practices and
related value chains
Growing cooperation with institutional
partners
- Government, water basin agency, sub-
national authorities (regions, départements,
agricultural bodies…)
- Reaching to new partners, in line with
emerging challenges (natural parc, etc.)
Open innovation with the value chain
- Deploying innovative technologies, on pilot
sites (water quality, smart water…)
- Next generation treatment facilities
(decarbonatation, methanisation, energy
efficiency..)
Bolstering the
capacity to act on
shared objectives
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15. HAPPY TO SHARE MORE
VIRTUALLY TODAY
OR IN CO-PRESENCE AT SDEA, WHERE YOU ARE
WELCOME
Contact : joseph.hermal@sdea.fr
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