Water and climate change: between emergency and resilience

Presented simultaneously in 16 regions of France by the territorial delegations of the professional organization, this national event was placed on the theme “Water and climate change: between emergency and resilience”.

Interviewed in duplex by the President of the Canalateurs Alain GRIZAUD, the famous hydrologist Emma HAZIZA recalled the impacts of climate change on French freshwater resources which saw the first conflicts of use appear in 2020. In this worrying context, unions and water authorities, local representatives of project management and project management have demonstrated their commitment to preserving an increasingly scarce water resource, and to imperatively maintain the quality drinking water network infrastructures and their sustainability.

“With climate change, the balance of the freshwater cycle is in danger in our department! The water tables are fragile, they show a decrease of 20% on average each year” alert Régis RIQUE departmental delegate Allier of the Auvergne Canalizers. This observation was illustrated by the hydrologist Emma HAZIZA.

A European consumes an average of 5.000 liters of water per day!

"There have always been extreme climatic episodes in history" recalls the scientist in the preamble. But beyond natural variability, Emma HAZIZA notes new phenomena: “We are now faced with parameters that are unthinkable, impossible. “Signs appeared from 2014 until the “break” of 2017 when the drought lasted until the end of December before tipping over in 2018, over three weeks of rain causing a flood of the Seine, to continue in 2019 by historic heat of 42 ºC in Paris and 46 ºC in the Gard then by field fires in Picardy in 2020 with the first conflicts… of water use! And 2021, marked by heat domes that caused rainy episodes and devastating floods in Germany and Belgium! Why such variations? “Because the water is unstable. The more intense the droughts, the more water accumulates in the atmosphere when it is not able to stay there,” replies the scientist.

However, a European consumes an average of 5.000 liters of water per day (food, hygiene, travel, etc.): the needs are colossal. “Behind everything we buy hides water, “indirect” water. And when “indirect” water starts to run out, that affects prices”. Wheat, energy… it all depends on water. Because one calorie requires one liter of water to be produced!

Securing and renewing water networks

With the Assises de l'eau on the small and large water cycles in August 2019, a real awareness has been recorded. Since the health crisis, the 2021 national recovery plan has reactivated the need to secure networks. At the regional level, it is between 20% and 25% of the treated water that goes back to nature due to lack of renewal of the networks! » is alarmed Stéphane GRAUPNER, Rhône-Alpes regional delegate for the Canaliseurs du Sud-Est, emphasizing with Jean-Luc GARCIA, president of Canaliseurs Auvergne the need to secure the water resource and its funding.

Water management in the territories

Know how to reorganize

With the NOTRe law, water management became community competence on January 1, 2020. Loire Forez Agglomeration (87 municipalities) for example thus inherits 1 km of network, 890 reservoirs, 140 drilling sites and 22 pumping stations in a territory where 40 water managers lived together, before the transfer of skills... "We worked on local dynamics, which made it possible to reorganize a more collaborative model between the territories" underlines Patrice COUCHAUD, Vice-President of Loire -Forez Agglomeration. With this new organization, the community will harmonize the price of water by 47. “In five years, all subscribers will pay slightly more for their cubic meter of water. This slight increase will finance a multi-year investment plan to upgrade our infrastructure! underlines the elected official who plans to invest 2026 million € to redo his oldest pipes.

Play together and invest

" It's urgent ! » warns Denis DELHOMME, administrator of CINOV Ingénierie. “It is necessary to invest in the renewal of the networks! Only 0,6%* of networks are renewed each year in France! It's not sufficient. At this rate, it takes 150 years to renew all the networks! (*sources SISPEA 2019) adds the representative of prime contractors who encourages local authorities to sign framework agreements, to call on engineering firms to continue to innovate, find new tools, look for leaks... and invest in the renewal of water infrastructure by encouraging elected officials to make water a pillar of their policy.

With a water network efficiency rate of 84%, the Allier department is above the national average (80%). According to François LIPONNE, Deputy Managing Director for the Water Cycle at Vichy Communauté, this “good result” is explained by the very old structure of project management, especially in the rural sector. As early as the 50s and 60s, the rural communes grouped together in syndicates of several dozen communes, which enabled them to have the technical capacity to be able to manage their equipment and keep it in good condition.

“Thanks to this collective strike force, a strong dynamic of network renewal has begun and the movement is well underway! The department has a major role in technical development,” he adds. The Departmental Council of Allier plans to invest between 200 and 250 million € for water networks over the next 25 years: security, additional production capacities, creation of new networks with large diameters to bring water at any point in the department with pumping units and emergency tanks. From the Loire Valley to the Val d'Allier, from the Val d'Allier to the Val de Cher, the department will be interconnected… in water.

Vichy Communauté will make significant investments in the water cycle with a total of €6 million for the left bank of the Allier, the Sichon and the development of the leisure/tourism bases of Saint-Yorre, Abrest and Saint-Germain -Billy, i.e. nearly 15% of its 2022 investment budget.

Several other organizations have launched their drinking water supply master plan which has made it possible to build a multi-year investment program, following the heritage study of their network, as testified by Guillaume DAUPHANT, Vice-President of the Syndicat Intercommunal d' Drinking Water Supply Basse Limagne, in the Puy de Dôme.

Innovate and train

Improving the performance of networks and better managing water resources is possible thanks to the contribution of innovation. "The generalization of leak detectors with RFID chips and the accentuated use of predictive management software effectively reinforce the current monitoring tools (remote management) and sector counts" underlines François LIPONNE who emphasizes the training of agents who allows them to be involved in “passionate professions” by increasing their skills. The agglomeration of Vichy is also working on new facilities to reduce soil pollution of agricultural origin, which involves innovative water filtration processes.

Pedagogy to "make the invisible visible" and act on the territories

Water price and communication

According to the Vice-President of SIAEP Basse Limagne, the price of water and the resulting communication are at the heart of the issues: the price of water is an important indicator for local authorities and its psychological impact is strong. “But talking about the price of water management rather than the price of water would be fairer! Because this would make it possible to put value on all the actors of water, companies, project management, project management, local elected officials, authorities and unions whose quality work remains essential and still too unknown, even … invisible ! ".

Water-Responsible territories in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Exchange, communicate and share. This is the challenge of the necessary exchanges of experience to be encouraged between local authorities at the national level, which makes it possible to pool practices. This is also the challenge of "Water" strategies recently implemented at regional level by several Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes communities committed to "Water-Responsible" territories downloadable file HERE coordinated by the Research Group, Technical Animation and Information on Water (GRAIE) and the Scientific and Technical Association for Water and the Environment (ASTEE).

Project management and educational action are fundamental in the knowledge of the water network by communities. "The generalization of "Water-Responsible" territories on a regional scale would, for example, make it possible to find sustainable and healthy water, to recharge groundwater, to improve the quality of life in urban areas and to better manage the risk of flooding, as is the case in the twenty or so current Water Responsible territories” underlines Patrice COUCHAUD. These are good responses to the climate emergency!

On this World Water Day and to close these exchanges, Pierre BERGER, President of the FRTP Auvergne Rhône-Alpes recalls that the profession is particularly committed to decarbonization and is working, at the national level, on wastewater reuse projects. (reuse) in order to facilitate their implementation.

By thanking all the participants for the quality of the exchanges, Michel REGUILLON, president of the Canaliseurs du Sud-Est, underlines the importance of preserving these professional meetings which allow “to dialogue, to remain united in the face of the problems we encounter, and also to strengthen the partnership between our companies, project owners and contractors for water management that meets current climate challenges. »