Structural characteristics of priority abstractions of use in designing protection systems

The legal texts stipulate that an action plan must be defined and implemented for priority abstractions with the local stakeholders. In this difficult situation, the local stakeholders, e.g. local State services, the Water agencies, local governments, Chambers of agriculture, water boards, etc., are all looking for effective, practical solutions in the field. To assist in this work, a study covering the entire country was carried out to gain information on suitable strategies taking into account specific, local conditions.

The first Grenelle environmental law, designed to reinforce WFD objectives, stipulates that "by 2012, action plans must be implemented to protect the 500 drinking-water abstractions in France, most threatened by nonpoint-source pollution, particularly by nitrates and phytosanitary products. The goal is therefore to achieve specific results, i.e. protection of water resources, via an approach stressing preventive rather than curative measures.