ABSTRACT
The regulations were often inequitable among dischargers because prefectoral decrees–the bases for the regulations–reflect a local balance of political power rather than the local assimilative capacity of the water environment. Water quality management in France involves basically two sets of institutions, one on the regulatory side and one on the economic incentive side. Although there are no nationally defined discharge standards, the Classified Establishments Service does define standards of generation and discharge per unit of activity for many different types of activities. Effluent charges are imposed by the basin agencies on discharges of oxidizable material, suspended material, and toxics, and abstraction charges are imposed on water withdrawals. The charges are not designed as incentives to reduce residuals discharges or water intakes. Depending on the cost functions of individual water uses, the charges may provide incentives to reduce wastewater discharges and/or water intake for some individual activities.
