SYNDICAT MIXTE DU BASSIN VERSANT DU LEZ (SMBVL)

What SYNDICAT MIXTE DU BASSIN VERSANT DU LEZ (SMBVL) does

Syndicat Mixte du Bassin Versant du Lez (SMBVL) is a French public territorial cooperation institution (syndicat mixte) established in 1997 and headquartered in Valréas, France. The organisation manages the Lez river watershed across the Drôme and Vaucluse departments in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, operating under the GEMAPI competence (Gestion des Milieux Aquatiques et Prévention des Inondations) transferred to intercommunalities. Its mandate encompasses flood prevention and crisis management, water quality monitoring and improvement, aquatic ecosystem restoration, drought management, and water resource planning. SMBVL delivers services directly to its member communes and EPCIs through a small technical team (~5 employees), coordinated by a Comité Syndical and Bureau under President Anthony Zilio.

SMBVL's core product surface includes the Réseau d'alerte (flood alert network) — a real-time hydrological monitoring system with stations updated every 5 minutes, hosted on the follow.solutions platform; the SMBVL Alabri programme for reducing flood vulnerability of residential, business, and agricultural properties; and an interactive mapping platform for watershed exploration. The organisation also operates several regulatory and planning instruments: the SAGE du Lez (officially launched 2025-07-01), the PAPI (Flood Prevention Action Programme 2015-2024), the Contrat de Bassin (2020-2024), and PTGE/PGRE water resource planning documents. A major infrastructure project — flood protection works for Bollène — was authorised via inter-prefectural decree in 2023.

SMBVL does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded through mandatory public contributions from member communes, intercommunalities, the departmental councils of Vaucluse and Drôme, the Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, the Agence de l'Eau, and the French State. Key financial and institutional partners include the République Française, Région PACA, Départements of Vaucluse and Drôme, and Agence de l'Eau. Operations integrate with third-party providers including C2i Telecom (mass notification), Egis Eau (engineering consulting), Predict'Services (flood forecasting), and follow.solutions (alert platform hosting).

Name

SYNDICAT MIXTE DU BASSIN VERSANT DU LEZ (SMBVL)

Legal name

Syndicat Mixte du Bassin Versant du Lez

Website

https://smbvl.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Syndicat Mixte du Bassin Versant du Lez (SMBVL) is a French public watershed management entity, founded 1997 and headquartered in Valréas, France, that delivers flood prevention, water quality monitoring, and aquatic ecosystem management services to communes and intercommunalities across the Lez river watershed in the Drôme and Vaucluse departments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Management and Flood Prevention Services

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH), Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Watershed management
• Flood prevention services
• Water resource management
• River ecosystem restoration
• Public hydrological monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Valréas

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SMBVL is a French public territorial cooperation institution (syndicat mixte) that has managed the Lez river watershed since 1997, providing integrated watercourse management, flood risk prevention and crisis management, water quality monitoring, aquatic ecosystem restoration, drought resource management, and real-time flood alerting services to member communes and intercommunalities across the Drôme and Vaucluse departments.

Product overview

SMBVL operates as a unified public watershed management platform providing integrated water resource management, flood prevention, and environmental monitoring services. The core offerings include the alert network (Réseau d'alerte) for real-time water level monitoring, the SMBVL Alabri program for flood vulnerability reduction, an interactive mapping system, and various programmatic approaches (SAGE, PAPI, Contrat de bassin, PTGE/PGRE). These services work together to provide comprehensive watershed governance including crisis management, environmental protection, and public awareness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMBVL Alabri: Program to reduce flood vulnerability of residential properties, businesses, and agricultural operations.
• Réseau d'alerte de crue

Products and services

• Réseau d'alerte de crue (Flood Alert Network) Real-time monitoring network for flood alerts and low-flow tracking on the Lez river and its tributaries. Data is updated every 5 minutes from stations across the watershed, serving communes, EPCI, and emergency responders with hydrological situation awareness.
• SMBVL Alabri Program designed to reduce flood vulnerability for residential properties, businesses, and agricultural operations through assessment and implementation of protective measures across the watershed.
• Carte interactive (Interactive Map) Interactive web map allowing users to explore the Lez watershed through various themes including administrative boundaries, natural spaces, and water quality information, used by the public and stakeholders.
• SAGE du Lez Schéma d'Aménagement et de Gestion des Eaux - Water management and development scheme governing water resource planning for the Lez watershed, formally adopted and launched in 2025.
• PAPI (Programme d'Actions de Prévention des Inondations) Flood Prevention Action Program (2015-2024) coordinating measures to manage flood risks across the Lez watershed.
• Contrat de bassin Basin contract (2020-2024) engaging SMBVL and financial partners including the State, Agence de l'Eau, Region PACA, and Departments of Vaucluse and Drôme in coordinated water management actions.
• PTGE / PGRE Projet de Territoire pour la Gestion de l'Eau and Plan de Gestion de la Ressource en Eau - water resource management planning documents for sustainable watershed stewardship.
• Guide de réduction de vulnérabilité du bâti Building vulnerability reduction guide for flood risk mitigation, published in 2018 and distributed to property owners.
• Guide du riverain Brochure informing property owners about their rights and responsibilities regarding waterway management along the Lez and its tributaries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Real-time flood monitoring with stations updated every 5 minutes across the watershed
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EPTB Loire: Établissement Public Territorial du Bassin de la Loire, responsible for coordinated water management along the Loire basin. Shares SMBVL's model of public-sector GEMAPI-style watershed governance with member local authorities and multi-departmental reach.
• EPTB Seine Grands Lacs: Public territorial basin establishment managing the Seine watershed, including flood prevention and water resource management. Directly comparable to SMBVL as a French public syndicat/EPTB coordinating flood and water management across multiple local authorities.
• Agence de l'eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse: French water agency providing funding and program oversight for SMBVL's Contrat de Bassin. Comparable as a public water management authority operating in the same region and financing the same types of restoration and flood prevention actions.
• EPTB Adour-Garonne: Public territorial basin establishment coordinating water management across the Adour-Garonne basin. Comparable to SMBVL as a multi-departmental French public body managing flood risk, water resources, and SAGE-type planning instruments.
• Syndicat Mixte du Bassin Versant du Gardon (SMBVG): Syndicat mixte governing the Gardon watershed in the Gard department with comparable flood prevention, GEMAPI, and SAGE responsibilities. Operates with a similar member-based governance model and delivers analogous flood alert and watershed programs.

Regional players

• Syndicat Mixte du Delta de l'Aa (SMDA): Syndicat mixte operating in northern France with flood, watercourse, and aquatic environment management responsibilities. Comparable as a French public watershed syndicat financed by member authorities and state partners under the same GEMAPI framework.
• Syndicat Mixte du Bassin des Sorgues (SMBS): Regional syndicat mixte managing the Sorgues watershed in Vaucluse, in the same PACA region as SMBVL. Performs similar flood prevention, water quality, and aquatic ecosystem functions, and shares the same regional and departmental funding channels.

Broad incumbents

• Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB): National public operator covering biodiversity, water resources, and ecosystem restoration across France. Broader in scope than SMBVL but operates in the same regulatory space, particularly around aquatic environment protection and water policy enforcement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/syndicat-mixte-du-bassin-versant-du-lez-smbvl-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SYNDICAT MIXTE DU BASSIN VERSANT DU LEZ (SMBVL)