In Montauban, the Verdié wastewater treatment plant will produce water for irrigation and green energy.
On Thursday June 15, 2023, the Grand Montauban Communauté d’Agglomération, Stereau and Saur France officially launched work on the extension of the Verdié wastewater treatment plant, which will not only treat wastewater, but also produce reusable water and biogas independently. This large-scale project is part of the overall decarbonization strategy of Greater Montauban, a community at the forefront of environmental issues, as demonstrated by the ambitious objectives of its PCAET for 2050.
Thanks to the reuse of treated wastewater (REUT), the plant will reduce water consumption in the area, helping to combat droughts in the long term. This will save almost 120,000 m3 of drinking water every year.
The energy efficiency aspect of the project is also important. Starting in 2024, the Verdié plant will produce 5 GWh of biomethane by recycling sewage sludge, reducing its volume by 45%. The biomethane produced will be injected into the municipal gas network, covering the annual consumption needs of 1,200 homes.
The impact of climate change is real, but solutions do exist. As an essential component in the chain of environmental protection, wastewater treatment plants have a major role to play. They can limit the impact of global warming by:
- recycling treated wastewater to replace drinking water for new uses (watering, agricultural irrigation, urban cleaning, hydro-cleaning, groundwater recharge),
- the production of carbon-free local energy from sludge, a by-product of wastewater treatment.
