REUT launch
4 July 2023Commissioning of the Treated Wastewater Reuse Unit : A Major Step Forward for the City of Nice
On Tuesday, July 04, 2023, the treated wastewater reuse pilot unit was officially inaugurated in the presence of Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, Delegate President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, and Sabrina Soussan, CEO of SUEZ.
This inauguration, made possible thanks to a derogation agreement obtained from the French government in June 2023, coincides with the start of summer, a critical period when the risk of water stress becomes more pressing for the region.
An ambitious project to reuse treated wastewater:
Haliotis 2 marks a major turning point in France, with the deployment of the world’s largest treated wastewater reuse project. While only 0.6% of treated wastewater is reused in France, this figure rises to 8% in Italy, 14% in Spain, and up to 80% in Israel, a leader in this field.
By reusing 7% of the wastewater treated at Haliotis 2, the equivalent raw water needs of a city the size of Nice can be supplied annually for watering green spaces and maintaining public spaces, including road cleaning.
Reuse objective:
Haliotis 2 aims to reuse 5 million cubic metres of treated wastewater every year, thus contributing to the major objective of modernizing the Haliotis wastewater treatment plant.
Even before the modernization work is completed, the pilot unit currently in operation produces 240 m3/day, or 87,000 m3/year, of certified European Class A water, the highest level of health requirements.
First Usage Authorizations:
The Direction Départementale des Territoires et de la Mer recently authorized the watering of green spaces at the Haliotis wastewater treatment plant with treated wastewater, marking a significant first step.
The municipality has submitted applications to extend the use of this treated wastewater to other areas, such as watering the Phoenix park, cleaning roads, hydrocuring networks and watering other green spaces.
Environmental and economic benefits:
Nice has a considerable advantage in that its raw water network is separate from the drinking water network. This means that treated wastewater can be injected directly into these existing pipes, without the need to create new ones.
More than a simple communications operation, this water project represents a bold vision supported by the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolitan authority. An investment of 143 million euros over 10 years has been made to secure the water supply, generating significant savings and reinforcing the sustainability of the water supply for years to come.