France Revolutionizes Agriculture: Massive Wastewater Recycling Project to Save Drought-Stricken Farms

France is banking on the filtration, disinfection and reinjection of wastewater that has so far been discharged into the Mediterranean to save orchards and vineyards as early as April 2026. This is the full scope of the launch of the largest project for the reuse of treated wastewater (REUT) for agricultural use, the work on which has begun in Argelès-sur-Mer. "We are transforming waste into a resource," says Antoine Parra, mayor of Argelès-sur-Mer and president of the Albères Côte Vermeille Illibéris (CCACVI) community of municipalities, to Francebleu.

"The idea is to do additional treatment of the clear water at the outlet of the wastewater treatment plant, with a new filtration to eliminate suspended matter, bacteria and viruses. To maintain the optimal quality of this water along the networks, a tiny amount of chlorine will be added," explains Maxime Zevaco, commercial engineer at OTV, in charge of the design of this REUT project. He will add: "it will be less than that present in the drinking water networks."

Thanks to this system, 1.3 million m³ of wastewater - the equivalent of five months of drinking water consumption for the 60,000 inhabitants of the territory - will be recycled each year. This project is a long-awaited response for farmers, especially those operating in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, which has been hit by a historic drought since May 2023. A highly efficient drip irrigation system fed by the reuse of treated wastewater will allow fruit growers and winegrowers to irrigate 659 hectares as early as April 2026: 533 hectares of orchards and 126 hectares of vineyards.

"It’s a relief, it’s water we’ll have available during periods of restriction, even if it costs 20 cents per cubic meter, so four times more expensive," says Fabienne Bonet, president of the Pyrénées-Orientales Chamber of Agriculture.

REUT has already been experimented with in Spain, Morocco or Israel, to irrigate crops. A panacea for France, which is facing a lack of water. "This project is a strong and costly political act - more than 13 million euros. We are taking our responsibilities to preserve the water resources of the aquifers and support our agriculture," insists Antoine Parra.