Conference ulysse::valbonne

    It seems a lot - assuming they simply install a meter and that is all
    you pay for. A few (5?) years ago I asked a quote for moving my
    meter from the middle of the woods to the road. This required them to
    bring the water to this point from accross a small road. They quoted
    9000FF. It seemed unreasonably high already. 
    
    I think you are right: There is a certain threshold involved here.
    
    Al
    

    The behaviour of Lyonnaise des Eaux (but also Generale des eaux) is
    completely unacceptable. We have plenty of such examples.
    
    Maybe we'll have a green depute next Sunday to change this !

>    
>    Maybe we'll have a green depute next Sunday to change this !
>
GREEN  didn't work out :-( on Sunday, what else can be done?

Maybe nothing because they have so much power, that they can do whatever they
like? Without any control?

Joerg

    I don't know if Notes file etiquette permits me to say this but I will
    anyway ....
    
    The aforementioned company are licensed bandits   They seem able to
    demand whatever price they like for their services because they are in
    a monopoly position.  Furthermore, the palms of many in municipal power
    are greased with their ill-gotten gains so you'd have to vote a lot of
    officials away to change anything (If you even have the right to vote
    that is).  
    
    I was horrified by my last bill (huge %age increase over previous year)
    and I complained until I was blue in the face but "c'est comme ca"
    
    On the other hand,their employees are just normal honest working folks
    like us.  Although I had to scream and shout and threaten legal action
    to get the company to come back to my garden to tidy up a huge mess
    they had made looking for a leaky main, the workers that they sent were
    "tres sympa".  They were determined to make 2 days work out of the
    affair, with my wife serving them coffee and cake and fresh fruit at
    regular intervals.  One of them was very handy as a mason and he
    re-built a number of my stone wall sections just to amuse himself. 
    I think he found this much more rewarding than digging up pipes.  I
    certailnly didn't complain and thanks toi the fact the the mains supply
    for the commune is still leaking, I have nice green lawn in that part
    of the garden.
    
    P.S.	Joerg - why do you want a meter placed on the just the
    sprinkling system?  Do you get a different tarif?  I don't understand
    what you are trying to accomplish.

    
    Would it be an option to dig a well? It's very common here in the USA.
    Is it allowed on the Cote d'Azur? How deep to drill? Anticipated costs?
    At what point would it become cost effective? Team up with some neighbours?
    
    Hein.
    
    

    Just saw a wonderful customer oriented ad on TV for Lyonnaise des Eaux. 
    They guarantee you a polite and rapid response if you call 0800 804804

Thanks Chris, I will try this number.

Regarding the reason. 
If you are connected to the 'canalisation', the m3 price of the water  is very
high (about 11FF in my area) because then you don't pay only for the clean
water, but also to get rid of the 'dirt water'. Both is included in the m3
price of the water clock.
Now, if you have a watering system or swimming pool, you use water, but it
doesn't go back through the pipes it just vanishes. For this kind of water you
don't need to pay the charges to get rid of the used water and this cuts the
water price into 1/2. ... and of course, the water companies don't like this,
because they get less revenue.

And to get this reduced price, you need a second water meter for the garden.

Joerg

    Joerg,
    
    Thanks for this interesting information.
    
    Does this mean that if you have your own and natural system for 'dirt
    water' you are supposed to pay less for the water you use ?
    And very likely, the water company would not ad this information, even
    if it is true.
    
    Vincent

    This is very interesting information - I never heard about it before. 
    Even at 10,000 francs for a separate installation, if the bill was cut
    by 50%, I would recover my costs in 18 months - I am going to look into
    this - thanks.
    
    Regarding "dirty water" - it all goes into the same place right - into
    the water table - we are not connected to a piped sewage system.  So I
    guess the point is that the water company admits that swimming pools
    and garden watering add no harmful elements to the water table.    I
    don't know what .8 was referring to as his "own and natural" system for
    dirty water.  Care to explain?
    
    /Chris/

    I also have a sceptic tank. When I noticed the environmental
    charge I asked my wife to question this. She got nowhere.
    Perhaps we should bring this up together, as well as the
    charge for a second meter? I have a pool and a big garden
    as well.
    
    Al