Christophe Béchu is in Pyrénées-Orientales to undertake immediate and long-term projects. A range of solutions including reuse of treated waste water, expansion of Aqua Domitia under study, waste limitation. In order for this department “climate change adaptation model”. By the way, it’s open season “to numerous undeclared drillings”. While 50 municipalities are under increased surveillance, EELV condemns a “lack of courage for urbanization”.
Is it because the Minister of Ecological Transition declared urbi et orbi that the agricultural world siphons most of the rare water from the Pyrénées-Orientales (83%, his office announced)? Christophe Béchu will be able to retort that he is in favor of co-financing the enlargement study Aqua Domitia which would bring water from the Rhône to the PO, as Dis-Leur explained to you HERE. A project that requires 500 million euros of investment. All the same.
In any case, the farmers planned a committee to welcome the new arrival of Christophe Béchu to the Pyrénées-Orientales. The cat and mouse game continued this morning. Meanwhile, the former mayor of Angers comes to the driest department in France to make his announcement “water resilience plan” coping with drought. The one who wants to make Perpignan and this department “climate change adaptation demonstrator”. Measures or spatulas, it depends on your point of view. Of nature, in any case, to fill the pump.
Find over 300 million cubic meters of water
To solve the two-year water crisis, announced the release of an envelope of 10 million euros provided by the Rhône-Mediterranean Water Agency. Added to that is the Agricultural Hydraulic Fund. But also the Aqua loans given by the Banque des Territoires for “structural investments”. These structural projects respond to the challenge: finding more than 300 million cubic meters of water taken every year for the needs of this department (figures for 2021), of which 80% comes from the Roussillon aquifer.
The ministry’s plan has several items. First of all, it is “in order to better understand the resource and its withdrawal”. Because there is “many drillings that are not declared”. The Ministry, which identified “13 black points”, 13 municipalities from whose network more than 50% of water leaks, therefore he made the decision to set up “meters and call for the generalization of remote readings to know if the samples are not above what is allowed”, specified the minister. Otherwise, “we will cause a water war that we want to avoid”.
Reuse of wastewater
Until 2030, this strategy is structured around several axes. Along with all stakeholders in the region, the state has decided to co-finance seven projects that will be launched without delay. Projects that reach consensus, three for the reuse of wastewater and four for “creation or optimization of water supply infrastructure”.
Stations Argelès, Saint-Cyprien and Canet
On the edge of the Mediterranean, in Canet, the minister explained that the “resolution” is not a cure-all but “that there is slightly less water in the Mediterranean Sea, the level of which is increasing due to global warming”, It doesn’t matter, basically. “France does ten times less than Italy and twenty times less than Spain to reuse treated wastewater.”. There is therefore the possibility of reusing water from the Argelès wastewater treatment plant for agricultural irrigation, which discharges two million cubic meters of treated water annually into the Mediterranean. Therefore, it will be necessary to improve the quality of the water at the outlet and build 14 km of transmission networks to irrigate 583 ha of cultivation and viticulture.
The same philosophy for the Saint-Cyprien wastewater treatment plant that discharges 2.1 million cubic meters per year into the Elne canal that opens into the seaport; water that will then be used for technical needs: watering golf courses, boat washes, roads, etc. And also for agricultural land. The third wastewater treatment plant, that of Caneta, discharges its treated water (1.6 million) into the La Têt estuary. this water would be supplied to vegetable gardens, fields… And at least 200 hectares of vines.
More technical solutions
At the same time, Christophe Béchu plans to install an irrigation network over 50 km downstream from the Aggly dam to the Salanque plain. More technical is the terminal replacement project on the Corbère canal network that draws resources from La Têt to supply three pumping stations for 1,100 hectares of trees. The ministry also wants to improve the Perpignan canal, which, over 30 km, carries water from La Têt and supplies 3,000 ha of agricultural land. The old canal, from the 14th century, which needs to be restored. How necessary and urgent, according to Christophe Béchu, “reform management: there are two hundred water management companies in this department (…) Isolated management is a factor of fragility”.
It’s an alarm: out of 226 municipalities in this department, 50 are under increased surveillance, with a risk for the supply of drinking water. 35,000 inhabitants – 7.3% of the total population of P.-O. – are directly affected. Of those 50 particularly vulnerable municipalities, 12 of them (9,000 inhabitants) have a complete or partial shortage of drinking water. And more than half of them have a leaky delivery network that loses one liter in three).
This plan will require extensions. Because a sustainable fight against water scarcity and deadly drought will require much more than this utterly paltry plan.
David Berrué (EELV) : “Pious wishes of Mr. Béchu”
For David Berrué, of EELV in the department, these are just “pious wishes of Mr. Béchu”. He explains: “In the face of drought, the restoration of irrigation canals and water supply networks is justified. Just like reusing water from wastewater treatment plants. For the rest, the action plan presented this Wednesday by the Minister of Ecological Transition misses its goal.”
Extend the Aqua Domitia, this pipe that carries water from the Rhône to the Aude? “It’s expensivecorresponds. And it is in vain: the flow of the Rhône will fall by at least 10% to 15% in the coming years. Sampling there will be less possible, especially because of the risk of rising salt in the delta.”
Lack of courage for urbanization
Black spot, according to EELV: “Lack of courage for urbanization. If he mentioned the 35,000 inhabitants who face difficulties in the supply of drinking water, not a word about the approximately 35,000 housing units planned by Scot de la Plaine du Roussillon, which can only worsen the pressure on resources. Offsetting this impending real estate boom is immediately available leverage. The artificialization of the soil accelerates the flow of water downstream, and its outflow, on the contrary, must be slowed down: it must be stopped.”
Keep water in the soil
“Because adapting to the climate regime coming to the Catalan country requires the retention of water when it falls. Not so much in reservoirs, where water stagnates and evaporates, but in the soil. By returning the organic matter back, so that they become sponges. By promoting plant cover, especially in vineyards. Helping to select crops that use less water, which probably involves moving away from intensive arboriculture.
Public money must benefit from adapted agricultural practices. As a support to farmers for the “services” they provide to the environment and which are currently not charged at their fair value. This will allow us to sustainably deal with the new climate situation.”
Olivier SCHLAMA
🚨Author’s warning 👉 I thought carefully before publishing this article. I finally decided to write it. There is no reason not to use a little information (communication, rather). In the past, journalists would put down their pen. Today, they are trying very hard to ask questions in WhatsApp loops from the ministry that remained unanswered…
– Even if the “brief” from the office of Christophe Béchu made fun of dozens of journalists by refusing to answer their questions.
– even if ONLY TVs got broad and blurry answers like their pictures
– Even if this “plan” is at best the beginning of what should be done, but much bigger
– even if it is government greenwashing
– Even if the minister did not even respond to our request for ITW.
– even if he is not up to the challenge…
Also read on Tell them!
Drought/Dossier: Pyrénées-Orientales enters a water war, Occitanie prepares for it
Drought: Reuse of treated wastewater yes, but “it’s not a magic solution”
Drought: Extend “Aqua Domitia” to Perpignan? Let’s talk about it…