This article describes the complexities and the challenges of providing high quality drinking water for the densely populated Ile de France region in France, which includes the Paris metropolitan area. The following topics are addressed: sources of water supply and management of water service by private firms and water authorities; measures to ensure safe and flexible water supplies; automated monitoring and control techniques to monitor water quality and optimize treatment processes; automated bacteriological monitoring; and treatment techniques for clarification, flocculation, and multistage ozonation. Includes 26 references, table, figures.