This Tuesday, July 11, the Senate information mission on sustainable water management adopted a list of 53 proposals. These recommendations tend to “involve all players, public and private, in the shared use of water”, with a section particularly centered on the improvement of distribution networks.
« Sobriety is no longer an option, it’s an obligation »declare Rémy Pointereau, senator (LR) of Cher and Hervé Gillé, senator (SER) of Gironde, about a report, adopted this Tuesday, July 11 by the senatorial mission of information on the sustainable water management.
Founded in February 2023 by a socialist, environmentalist and republican group, the mission’s role is ” to identify the shortcomings of the public water policy conducted in our country and to propose solutions to face the challenge of shared management of a rarer and more precious resource “, we read on the Senate website.
This results in the report’s 53 proposals, which aim to ” involve all stakeholders, public and private, in the shared use of water ».
Although water management in France remains quite efficient (…) when you are in a crisis situation, you see the limits of the system “explains Hervé Gillé. Faced with global warming, it is necessary to prepare for a resource that is likely to dwindle “, he defends during a press conference, this Wednesday, July 12.
The construction trades concerned, from water networks to energy
These proposals are divided into different parts. A first, more general, encourages “ set in law the objective of water sobriety “. A second tends to affirm community governance over water management, while a third focuses on improving knowledge of the resource.
Among the aspects that concern the construction industry, more particularly the pipeline trades, we note the recommendations of the Senate on the wastewater reuse. The senators recommend in particular to “ frame the opinion of the ARS on reuse projects within a defined period and justify unfavorable opinions so that the precautionary principles do not become sticking points. Elected officials also call for comfort » the financial resources of the water agencies, so that they co-finance studies and work to implement reuse projects.
More specifically to drinking water, the senators encourage the update of the interconnection diagram in each department, in order to map supply weaknesses in the various municipalities. Added to this is the measure of “ extend the obligation for all building owners to know their assets “. This would commit them, within five years, to carry out a diagnosis, a financial analysis supplemented by a multi-year investment plan. “ It should be fixed a target rate of return of around 85% and D’adopt royalty pricing very dissuasive for the most fleeing networks “, is it also recommended among the proposals.
The water quality is displayed in the proposals, which focus, among other things, on depolluting technologies or the grouping together of small sanitation units, for better financing at the scale of small municipalities.
About the sobriety waterthe senators also want financial provision mechanisms to bring non-collective sanitation facilities up to standard.
Other suggestions focus more on the deployment of energy installations : better define the methods of renewal of hydroelectric concessions or boost the installation of photovoltaic panels on existing bodies of water.
« There will be no ambitious water policy without ambitious financial means »
As we can read between the lines: most measures call for more funding dedicated to sustainable water management. ” There will be no ambitious water policy without ambitious financial means “Defend the senators. However, the financial effort of the Water Plan announced by the President of the Republic at the end of March remains insufficient “, laments Mr. Gillé.
The 475 million euros per year paid to the water agencies, for carrying out the actions of the Water Plan, ” are not satisfactory given the stakes », Considers the rapporteur, who recommends « overtake them if we want to go towards high-performance trajectories “. This notably involves the abolition, by the end of 2023, of the ” bite cap on revenue and to raise employment caps and expenditure caps for water agencies ” , and so ” sustain the 475 million euros in additional revenue proposed by the Water Plan ».
Another point to perpetuate »: financial support for overseas water offices, responsible for improving drinking water and sanitation networks.
To find out about all the proposals of the senatorial information mission on sustainable water management, go to this link.
Virginia Crown
Front cover photo: Adobe Stock
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