Other countries developed groundwater protection policies based upon cooperative agreements between farmers and utilities in charge of water supply, involving the drinking water bills, under a principle called in the U.S.A. 'payment for ecosystems servicces'. After reviewing American, Dutch, German policies, and mentioning the English counter-example, two French case studies are presented : while these attempts are rather hampered by more traditional wellhead protection policies as well as by agri-environmental measures, the rural contracts proposed by the Agences de l'eau within the framework of the new CAP might bring significant improvements..