France to support industrial sites in bid to hit water saving target
The government hopes to reduce water use by 10% by 2030 and pledges to work with high-use companies
Industrial uses represent 4% of all water consumption in France
Olya Humeniuk / Shutterstock
A dozen industrial sites across France have been selected to lead efforts to save on water.
They will benefit from state support to evaluate and improve their water use.
By the end of the year, they will be joined by an additional 35 sites, as part of a plan to reduce water use by 10% by 2030.
Read more: Water restrictions not used effectively during France’s drought
The sites consume large amounts of water
Potential solutions include modifying manufacturing processes, and using rainwater or treated wastewater.
They are all sites that consume large amounts of water, in areas where the resource is under pressure, and which have the potential to reduce their consumption.
They include the TotalEnergies refinery in Loire-Atlantique, and the Isigny Sainte-Mère dairy cooperative in Calvados.
Macron announced 53 water-saving measures
Industrial uses represent 4% of all water consumption in France. Industry has already reduced water use by 17% since 2018.
The programme is part of the series of 53 measures announced by President Macron in March aimed at saving water.
Rainfall is expected to decrease by 16%-23% by 2050, while river levels could fall by 10%-40%, according to the Explore 2070 study, conducted between 2010 and 2012.
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