In Argelès-sur-Mer (Pyrénées-Orientales region), an innovative project to reuse treated wastewater for agricultural purposes is currently underway. Supported by the Albères-Côte Vermeille-Illibéris Community of Municipalities (CCACVI), it is the largest scheme of its kind in France. At a cost of €13 million [15.27 million USD], it plans to recycle 1.3 million m³ of wastewater a year (until now discharged into the Mediterranean), the equivalent of five months' consumption for the area's 60,000 inhabitants. This water should help irrigate 659 hectares of farmland. According to France Bleu, from April 2026, the water will be filtered, disinfected, and re-injected into orchards and vineyards.
Launched in 2020, the project will enter the construction phase in the summer of 2025, with commissioning scheduled for spring 2026. The water, taken from the water treatment plant, will undergo additional treatment using ultrafiltration technology (designed by OTV, a subsidiary of the Veolia group) to guarantee A-quality water that complies with health standards. A 15-kilometer network of pipes specially designed to transport unconventional water and 17 irrigation points will enable it to be distributed.
This system, which has already been used in Spain and Morocco, will benefit 56 farmers spread over several communes in the area, despite the recurring drought. Orchards (533 ha) and vineyards (126 ha) will be drip-irrigated.
