France Haute-Savoie – saving Annecy lake

Degradation of the lake’s waters has led to the accumulation of organic sludge which threaten to asphyxiate the environment.The alarm was sounded by Dr Servettas,
an Annecy doctor well aware of the
health dangers caused by the lake’s
deterioration. Working together
with fishermen and specialised
services and with the strong
backing of Charles Bosson, mayor
of Annecy, the Syndicate of
lakeside communes was founded
on July 15, 1957.

This pioneering
initiative consisted in building
a collecting drain completely
surrounding the lake. Through
450 km of pipeline and 43 pumping
stations, waste waters from the
22 communes in the syndicate are
diverted through the collecting
system and carried to the sewage
treatment plant located downstream
from the lake.