recycling wastewater as a solution?

To adapt to the increasingly present droughts in France, Jean-Claude Mailhol had the idea of ​​irrigating his vines with recycled wastewater. This former agronomist set himself this challenge five years ago. The drought of this summer 2022 and the lack of water that accompanies it seem to prove him right. Directly connected to the treatment plant, it uses drip to waste as little as possible.

And in terms of health, the studies are positive. “We did not find any pathogenic indicators in the grapes and we have, at the level of fertilizers, a contribution which can be interesting for the farmers”, highlights Nassim Ait Mouheb, Inrae UMR G-Eau research fellow. In France, less than 1% of water is reused. It is little next to Italy (8%) and Spain (14%). But the projects are multiplying. In Vendée, waste water from a treatment plant will be transformed into drinking water. The experiment should last four years and allow the recycling of the waste water of more than 100,000 Vendéans.