CHAPTER IV: Public industrial and commercial services

Municipalities and groups of local authorities, after consulting the consultative commission for local public services, draw up, for each water or sanitation service for which they are responsible, service regulations defining, according to local conditions, the services provided by the service and the respective obligations of the operator, subscribers, users and owners. The operator gives each subscriber the service regulations or sends them to him by post or electronic mail….

Any supply of drinking water, whoever the beneficiary, is billed at the rate applicable to the corresponding category of user, households, occupants of buildings used primarily for residential purposes, being able to constitute a category of user. The local authorities referred to in article L. 2224-12 are required to put an end, before 1 January 2008, to any provision or stipulation to the contrary. This article does not apply to…

Public water and sanitation utilities are authorised to implement social measures designed to make effective the right of access to drinking water and sanitation under conditions that are economically acceptable to all, as set out in article L. 210-1 of the Environment Code. These measures may include setting tariffs that take account of household composition or income, granting assistance with the payment of water bills, assistance with access to water…

Under conditions set by decree in the Conseil d’Etat, the rules relating to drinking water and sanitation charges and the sums provided for by Articles L. 1331-1 to L. 1331-10 of the Public Health Code are established by deliberation of the municipal council or the deliberative assembly of the grouping of local authorities. When the municipalities assume responsibility for the work mentioned in the second sentence of the first paragraph…

No charges related to payment rejection may be levied by drinking water and wastewater services on natural persons not acting for business purposes who have obtained, for the bill that generated payment rejection charges by the bank or in the twelve months prior to the deadline for payment of said bill, assistance in paying for their water supply from the Fonds de Solidarité pour le Logement (housing solidarity fund) or…

Drinking water and wastewater charges cover the costs arising from investments, operations and renewals required to provide the services, as well as charges and taxes of all kinds relating to their performance. For domestic subscribers, requests for deposits or security deposits are prohibited. Sums received as security deposits shall be reimbursed within a maximum period set at three years from the promulgation of the loi n° 2006-1772 du 30 décembre…

Public water and sanitation utilities may allocate a grant to the housing solidarity fund to help finance aid relating to the payment of water supplies or related collective charges mentioned in article 6 of law no. 90-449 of 31 May 1990 aimed at implementing the right to housing. An agreement signed with the manager of the housing solidarity fund sets out the rules for calculating, allocating and paying this subsidy,…