In Villeveyrac, a more efficient wastewater treatment plant to better respond to environmental challenges

Directeur de la Régie de l’eau à Sète Agglopôle, Jacques Delagnes a assuré la visite guidée de la station d’épuration de Villeveyrac Midi Libre – Patrice Espinasse

Inaugurated this Friday, April 5, the new Villeveyrac wastewater treatment plant should make it possible to meet the growing needs of the town but also to better protect the ecosystems.

"Inaugurating a wastewater treatment plant is not very exciting for the population. But it’is essential for the environment." Christophe Morgo, the mayor of Villeveyrac, summed up the thoughts of the day.

1 km from the village, on this Chemin des Pouzets which leads very quickly into the countryside, the Agglo de Sète inaugurated a wastewater treatment plant this Friday, April 5. To discover the new equipment, no residents. Many elected officials, on the other hand: mayors, presidents… , technicians, production stakeholders, and even the prefect of Hérault, who came to welcome the approach. "Open a gymnasium, renovate a gymnasium, create a performance hall , you can see it straight away and the residents-voters applaud. But nobody cares about sewage treatment plants…" confirmed François-Xavier Lauch.

From 3 500 to 5 500 inhabitant equivalent

In the absence of popular applause, everyone therefore praised the potential and the virtues of the new installation. Redesigned on the site of the one built in 2005, the new version of the wastewater treatment plant has significantly increased its treatment capacity. To follow the demographic evolution of the municipality, it has gone from a potential of 3,500 to 5,500 inhabitant equivalent, with a land reserve allowing it, in the long term, to reach up to 8,000 inhabitant equivalent.

In addition to improving purification performance with the treatment of nitrogen and phosphorus, the station now includes an 800 m3 storm basin, intended to store excess rainwater in the event of heavy precipitation and to prevent any discharge into the natural environment."The new station responds to two major challenges. It first makes it possible to ensure the collection and treatment of wastewater from the population of Villeveyrac which will continue to grow. And then to preserve our ecosystems and protect them from the impacts they could suffer", explains Yves Michel, vice-president of the Agglo, delegate to large and small water cycle.

A cost of nearly 2.9 million euros

Operational for a year already for wastewater, for a few weeks for rainwater, the enlarged equipment cost nearly 2.90 million euros. The Water Agency participated up to 30%.

Beyond the "small technical and ecological feat"greeted by François Commeinhes, minds were turned towards the ecological balance of the Thau pond, rich, as Christophe Morgo recalled, with 200 plant and 400 animal species. 60~em>"Strong contractual means have been put in place to improve our networks, treatment and discharges into the lagoon, to renovate or adapt our wastewater treatment plants, underlines Yves Michel. But rainwater master plans must also make it possible to reduce the problems linked to flooding and overflows of networks, often unitary. We must not work only on sanitation but on rainwater and on sanitation because the two are linked."< /p>

Time Trial Race

In this sort of time trial between man and nature, developments come up against climate change and ever-increasing episodes of heavy precipitation. A permanent challenge that local authorities and the State assure they want to take up. "Here, the economy is based on the quality of the aquatic environment […] The objective is to ensure that in 15 -20 years ago, there is still shellfish farming on the Thau pond. This is a major subject", recalled the prefect of Hérault.

The remarks will have been received five out of five by Patrice Lafont, president of the Mediterranean Regional Shellfish Committee, present in Villeveyrac.

A prefect loyal to the Thau basin

"Definitely, you often see me around the Thau basin!"It’s hard to blame à François-Xavier Lauch to neglect this territory. Came à the meeting of shellfish farmers on October 11, & Loupian, two days à Barely after taking office, the prefect of H’Hérault subsequently chained himself to it. outings: with the fishermen of Sète, with the inhabitants of the Ile de Thau district, at the Lycée de la Mer, &agrav; Mireval, à Poussan, with the eel fishermen… And so &agrav; Villeveyrac, where he took advantage of it to taste the first strawberries. "A gastronomic enlightenment in my complicated days"< /em>, confidedé the representative of the state, who had not hidden, already, his appetite for insults; very of the Thau basin.