Protecting public health also means protecting the environment, and that is what we do: our contribution to the "One Health" approach

The “One Health” approach is based on the recognition of the close interdependence between human health, animal health and the health of ecosystems. The deterioration in the quality of water resources, soil or biodiversity increases the risk of disease, undermines food security and heightens the vulnerability of populations to climate-related hazards. 

Conserving water, treating wastewater and managing floods, restoring natural habitats, collecting and treating waste, enhancing biodiversity, and combating climate change all yield multiple co-benefits: fewer diseases, better-protected ecosystems, and services that are more resilient to climate change.

As early as the 19^th century, the hygienist movement demonstrated the close links between living conditions, access to safe water, wastewater collection and treatment, the fight against unsanitary conditions, and life expectancy. The development of drinking water and sanitation networks, as well as and waste collection systems, marked a decisive step forward for public health.

Even today, access to quality drinking water and effective wastewater treatment remains a global challenge, exacerbated by population growth and climate change. Waste management is also a key lever: effective collection and treatment reduce the proliferation of disease vectors (rodents, mosquitoes), limit zoonoses (infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans) and protect natural resources from pollution.

For example, from 2027, we will be responsible for the distribution of drinking water for the city of Salem in India. The city’s water infrastructure will evolve to a more resilient and sustainable system. The modernisation of infrastructure and the deployment of cutting-edge technologies will ensure a continuous supply of quality drinking water to over a million people.

For example, we are developing vegetated discharge areas such as the Zone Libellule® (a phytoremediation-based wastewater treatment solution), which improve water quality before it is returned to the environment, limit impacts on aquatic ecosystems and promote biodiversity, to the benefit of local areas and inhabitants.

Together with academic and healthcare partners, we contribute to leading research programmes to strengthen health surveillance through wastewater analysis, such as OBEPINE+³ and PROMISE⁴.

Scientific innovation is another cornerstone of our commitment. Through our international research centre (CIRSEE), we have been developing solutions for over twenty years to detect, characterise and perform treatment, processing of micropollutants present in water and wastewater, including pharmaceutical residues, pesticide metabolites and more recently PFAS. We are also exploring new analytical approaches, such as bioassays⁵, in order to strengthen knowledge about water quality.

For example, we have deployed a patented technology at the Ternay drinking water production plant to perform PFAS treatment for the Syndicat Mixte d’Eau Potable Rhône Sud.

As part of the One Health Festival, on 2 April we organised, in collaboration with the EPE⁶,a morning of discussions dedicated to the role of businesses in addressing the “One Health” challenge, featuring three round-table sessions bringing together businesses and experts. This morning session also provided an opportunity to present the latest report, "Pollution and Business: Towards Holistic Approaches", from the EPE’s Health and Environment Commission, chaired by Charlotte Migne, Director of Sustainable Development at SUEZ.

As a partner of the One Health Summit, we reaffirm our conviction: taking action on water, wastewater and waste means making a concrete contribution to sustainable health, at the scale of living systems and territories.