The wastewater is then treated in order to release it back into the natural environment where it completes the purification process.

Agricultural and industrial advances the diminishing and/or degradation of the resource as well as the tightening of standards has given this service an ever more important dimension.

Veolia Water integrates its wastewater services into the municipal water cycle. It takes into account data on the catchment area as well as any economic development projects to create a truly customized wastewater approach for each public authority.

The aims of this approach are:

• to ensure the community's sustainable economic development by taking into account what the water will be needed for
• to make domestic as well as industrial customers aware of how to dispose of waste into the network
• to conserve water use. Investing in wastewater facilitates the long-term development of local activities
• to reduce the impact on the immediate environment and to be a springboard for an improvement in the quality of life.

The stages in this approach are:

• designing a wastewater service which will achieve the necessary performance levels while optimizing investment and running costs
• taking care of all of the municipal and industrial wastewater generated by the expanding local community
• adapting the treatment of the wastewater discharge to the requirements of the natural environment and to their end use
• drawing up a list of investment priorities taking into account each local authorities' particular obligations
• involving citizens in its approach to improve the wastewater service.

Efficient management of the wastewater service directly improves the quality of life of the local community.

In fact, the main aim of treating wastewater is to safeguard the health of the local communities.

In addition, this service preserves the quality of the water resources and protects the natural heritage and water-based activities (tourism, fish farming, etc.).

Finally, incorrectly treated wastewater can lead to pollution that can adversely affect drinking water production and increase treatment costs.

Many manufacturers are connected to the municipal wastewater system and benefit from this service. The wastewater service therefore also involves all local economic stakeholders whether or not they are producing the wastewater discharge found in the natural environment.

The improvement in the living environment promotes the sustainable economic development of the local community. Primarily it is a question of ensuring the development of tourist activities that are dependent on an improvement in water quality.

Irrespective of the wastewater procedure chosen, it is therefore essential to adopt an integrated approach and to decide on a proper local wastewater strategy.