The water of the Creuse is not naturally drinkable, too acidic, its PH is too low. To improve its quality in the Saint-Yriex-les Bois sector, a new factory is in service, operated by the Saur company for the Confluence Eau union. Inaugurated this Tuesday, it remineralizes the water, to limit damage to the pipes and health risks.
From the outside, it is a tall white rectangle, hidden in the middle of the woods. Inside, a concentration of appliances and modernity. 300m3 of water arrives from two catchments via two pipes, and passes through limestone filters.
465,000 euros to ensure water quality
Thanks to this treatment, the PH of the water distributed in the sector goes from 5.5 to 8. It thus becomes compliant with regulations, which was not the case until now. “This is part of a complete network that we are installing to provide the best possible quality,” explains Vincent Turpinat, President of the Confluence eau union. The challenge is to preserve the health of consumers and the pipes. “Some networks are 50 or 60% leaking because they are damaged by water”underlines Anne Frackowiak-Jacobs, prefect of Creuse.
In this miniature factory, devices and measurements are managed on a tablet, and can be controlled remotely. The intervention of a technician is only necessary once a week.
In Creuse, 80% of neutralization stations considered a priority are in service. That of Saint-Yrieix-les-Bois cost nearly 465,000 euros, half financed by the Water Agency, but also by the department and the prefecture.
“With one kilometer of network, we sometimes supply five residents”
“There are still millions of euros to invest in the years to come”estimates Vincent Turpinat, whose union spends nearly a million euros per year. According to him, there remains a lot of things to do, in terms of securing, pumping, replacing equipment, and automating systems.
The department benefits from a 25 million euro resilience contract from the Water Agencyessential state support for communities, because many of these investments are not profitable. “With one kilometer of network, we sometimes supply five inhabitants”, underlines Vincent Turpinat
Concentrated management for greater efficiency
To better manage the resource, unions come together. There are only 25 water management units left, compared to more than 80 a year and a half ago. “The future is that we can create a network with interdependencies, so that when a municipality has a problem, others can send it water, and vice versa,” says Vincent Turpinat.
Working on water savings and interconnections is essential, in the context of the scarcity of water resources, which affects the Creuse. “We have a lot of surface water, so we are vulnerable to the effects of global warming. During the previous three years, certain municipalities were close to losing their supply, including Guéret,” recalls Thierry Gaillard, Vice President of the Creuse Departmental Council in charge of water policy.
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