Recently, a municipal service was created to deal with the issue of water treatment. A primary goal is to examine all drainage systems on the island: when a building is designed and when it is built as well as all systems currently in use in existing homes. The new service will inspect all building permits to ensure that the drainage system conforms to the standards specified in the law passed in France in 1996. This law basically requires pre-treatment of used water and treatment of drains with bacteria that eat organic material before the water steeps into the ground. When the actual building begins, a representative of the municipal service will visit the building sites to ensure that the drainage systems are compliant with the plans put forth in the building permit. Homes built before 1996 are exempt from examination as long as their drainage systems aren't causing a problem. However, if the house is renovated, new drainage systems must comply. All homes built after 1996 must be examined. Given this large task, examinations will begin with houses near swimming areas and near the protected areas of the marine reserves.