Foresight as a response to water challenges
Re-elected head of the Syndicat de l’Eau de l’Est toulonnais, François de Canson recalled the SIAE's heritage of foresight in facing challenges.
HERITAGE During the union committee held on May 19, the president of the Syndicat Intercommunal d'Alimentation en Eau des Communes de la Région Est de Toulon (SIAE) was re-elected to his position. On this occasion, he stressed the "profound sense of responsibility" that accompanies this mandate, insisting on the crucial role of the union in protecting a vital resource and guaranteeing the future development of the territory. "There are institutions that are little talked about because they work.
Discreet, solid, almost silent institutions, yet on which an essential part of our daily lives depends. The SIAE is one of those," said the vice-president of the Région, recalling that water management is a collective adventure and a vision of public service.
PUBLIC SERVICE François de Canson paid tribute to the founders of the union, created on January 6, 1947, under the impetus of his great-uncle, François de Leusse, then mayor of La Londe-les-Maures. He praised a "remarkable act of foresight" in a France undergoing reconstruction.
TRIBUTE "It took courage to look beyond the urgency of the moment. Above all, it was essential to understand one key thing: water would be one of the great challenges of the century." This vision was translated into strategic investments, such as the construction of the Carnoules production plant in 1954, followed by that of Trapan in 1968.
These infrastructures illustrate the philosophy of the SIAE: "Anticipate rather than suffer. Foresee rather than repair. Build for several generations rather than respond to the urgency of the moment," insisted the vice-president of the Région Sud in charge of major risks. This historical lucidity remains, in his view, "strikingly relevant today."
Today, the SIAE federates nine municipalities spread across three intercommunalities: Carnoules, Pierrefeu-du-Var, Collobrières, La Crau, Carqueiranne, Hyères-les-Palmiers, La Londe-les-Maures, Bormes-les-Mimosas and Le Lavandou. This public service ensures the daily supply of more than 113,000 permanent residents, a figure that explodes during the summer season with the influx of tourists.
For the president, the union's greatest success lies in the apparent simplicity of its service. "Our citizens turn on their taps without even thinking about it. And that is precisely the success of a great public service: making obvious what is in reality extremely complex," added the mayor of La Londe-les-Maures.
He recalled that this continuity relies on constant and often invisible investments in networks, reservoirs, pumping stations, and emergency equipment.
His speech highlighted the major challenges facing the territory. Climate change, with the increase in droughts, and growing demographic and tourism pressure, are creating unprecedented tensions on water resources. The challenge of the coming years can be summed up in a striking formula, the president recalled: "We must now guarantee more with a more fragile resource."
Faced with this new reality, rigor and long-term vision are more necessary than ever. "In our country, we sometimes talk more about inaugurations than maintenance. But real public responsibility also consists in maintaining, securing, modernizing, and passing on," he insisted.
Finally, he paid tribute to his predecessors, François de Leusse, Henri Delon, and Gérard Simon, who all worked to protect the resource and guarantee a reliable service.
François de Canson also reaffirmed his attachment to the philosophy of the SIAE, based "on cooperation rather than posturing. On concrete action rather than slogans." In conclusion, he recalled that great public services and lasting successes are built in consistency and discretion.
Assuring the delegates of his total commitment, he defined his line of conduct for the upcoming mandate: "I will be a president attentive to each of the member municipalities, respectful of everyone's sensitivities, and guided by a single compass: the general interest," concluded the union's president.
Photos DR.