Water plan: 51 industrial sites will reduce their consumption “by more than 10%” before 2030

Europe 1 with AFP 11:04 a.m., March 22, 2024, modified at 11:05 a.m., March 22, 2024

51 industrial sites among the largest consumers of water have committed to reducing their use by “more than 10%” before 2030 and “further beyond,” Cristophe Béchu, Minister of Ecological Transition, said on Friday. These 51 sites "alone represent 25% of the water consumption of all French industry", declared on France 2 Chrsitophe Béchu, who is due to go later in the day to one of the sites concerned, Novacarb , near Nancy, with Roland Lescure, Minister of Industry.

Among the players targeted by this plan are several sites of the steel giant ArcelorMittal, one of Coca-Cola, one of Danone and one of Saint-Gobain, according to a map distributed by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Chemistry and agri-food represent more than half of the sites concerned. Almost a year after the launch of the Water Plan by the government, Christophe Béchu also welcomed the fact that of the 171 municipalities identified as losing more than 50% of water to leaks, the problem had been “resolved” for 93 of them.

A plan to address leaks

On Wednesday, Intercommunalités de France, however, revealed that in total, 198 communities, most located in mountain areas, had a leak rate from their drinking water network greater than or equal to 50%. In France, the leak rate in the water distribution network is around 20% and Emmanuel Macron announced a year ago a plan of 180 million euros per year to reduce these leaks.

Asked whether or not he supports new "megabasins", Christophe Béchu refuted this term before declaring that France "needs more (water) reservoirs", particularly in the mountains, even if it was necessary to look "project by project" to identify "those on which there is room to accelerate and those on which there can be debates".