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80 hectares of vineyards in La Clape in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France can be irrigated with treated wastewater from the Narbonne-Plage sewage treatment plant starting this summer. Work on this project has been ongoing since 2013 in order to continue to make viticulture possible in one of the driest regions of France. The wastewater from the treatment plant passes through a 50-micron mechanical filter, is then disinfected with UV light and lightly chlorinated. Numerous chemical and bacteriological analyses have been carried out to ensure that the water thus treated meets the minimum quality for irrigation. From 2022, the plant will be able to treat 50 cubic metres of water per hour.
"We have found that we often get better hygienic quality than with agricultural well water, which is not regulated," says project manager Hernan Ojeda, adding that the technique also brings significant cost savings on fertilisers. It does not affect the chemical and physical composition or the flavour profile of the wines. One cubic metre of water from the system costs the winemakers 0.70 euros. "The price is exactly between that for agricultural well water, to which we have no access anyway, and drinking water," says Ojeda
(al / Source: vitisphere.com, Photo: BayWA AG)