Emmanuel Macron presented his plan for “resilient and concerted water management” on Thursday March 30. This plan includes 53 measures to organize sobriety, optimize resource availability and preserve water quality.
The question of water availability has been in the headlines in recent weeks following the winter drought and the mobilization once morest the mega agricultural basins. Thursday, March 30, during a trip to Savines-le-Lac (Hautes-Alpes), the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron presented the Water Plan, “an action plan for resilient and concerted water management “.
This new collective plan brings together the State, local authorities, economic players, associations and citizens. It wants to respond to three major challenges: “organize sobriety of uses for all players”, “optimize the availability of the resource” and “preserve the quality of the water”. France Nature Environnement salutes “ many good news » et « the ecological effort displayed by the government ». « The Head of State (finally) spoke of sobriety », Welcomes the federation of environmental associations in a press release.
Organize sobriety for all actors
The plan sets several quantified objectives. France takes 32.8 billion m³ of fresh water from nature every year (on average over the period 2010-2019). More than half (51%) are used to cool power stations, 16% to supply canals, 16% to the production of drinking water, 9% to agricultural uses and 9% to industrial uses. Overall, the plan aims to reduce water withdrawals by 10% in the country by 2030.
In order to achieve this objective, all economic sectors will have to present a sobriety plan by the summer. In addition, the government is betting this year on supporting at least 50 industrial sites with the greatest reduction potential. In 2024, new works will be launched to reduce water consumption in new buildings.
This water management plan is part of an ecological planning logic. To do this, each major watershed will adopt a climate change adaptation plan. It will specify the trajectory for the reduction of withdrawals with regard to projections of changes in water resources and uses.
Optimize resource availability
To secure the supply of drinking water, the first step is to reduce leaks in the pipes. Of the additional 500 million euros granted each year by this plan to the water agencies, 180 million euros per year will be used to reduce “emergency” water leaks in France in the most sensitive points. Via press release, the Professional Federation of Water Companies (FP2E) welcomes “the concrete measures of the Water Plan” and calls to “their full and immediate implementation”. If these additional resources go in the “good sense”, she estimates that France needs 15 billion euros over five years to adapt water management to climate change.
The optimization of water use will also go through the recovery of wastewater and rainwater. The government hopes to develop 1,000 reuse projects on the territory, by 202. It hopes to go from a rate of reuse of treated wastewater (REUT) of 1% to 10% by 2030. Other projects will allow improve storage in soils, groundwater and structures. In particular, an agricultural hydraulic investment fund will be funded to the tune of 30 million euros per year to modernize existing structures (drainage of reservoirs, maintenance of canals, etc.) and develop new projects.
Preserve quality and restore ecosystems
The third axis of the plan aims to prevent pollution of aquatic environments and, in particular, to strengthen the protection of catchment feeding areas. In particular, it should promote agroecology and organic farming in these areas and support low-input agricultural practices. 30 million euros per year will support the development of water-saving agricultural practices in the agricultural sector. In addition, the release of a fund of 30 million euros for agricultural hydraulics will facilitate the use of existing structures and improve infiltration into groundwater.
The Générations Futures association regrets the measures confined to the catchment areas alone. She emphasizes the lack of prohibition, for example, of the use of synthetic pesticides (particularly those harmful to aquatic environments) within 100 meters of these areas”. “Beyond these catchment areas, nothing on the uses of these pollutants near waterways and bodies of water, nothing on the uses in coastal areas”she adds.
Among the additional aid to water agencies, 50 million euros per year will nevertheless be devoted to bringing priority treatment plants up to standard. From 2023, 100 million euros will be used to finance projects for the renaturation and desealing of communities as part of the Green Fund.
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