Water Pollution abatement in the industrial sector

Denis BESOZZI
The Rhin-Meuse Water Agency, International Activity

The law concerning water resources, issued in 1964, permitted to classify and to define the competencies and responsibilities in the water resource management. This law also permitted the introduction of four new principles in water resource management in France:

• The water resource management has to be done in the river basins;

• The setting up of the Basin Committees (a real local Parliament of water resource users) and of the Water Agencies;

• Setting up fees/fines for water consumers/polluters and financial assistance for the contractors to fight against pollution.

Therefore, France was divided in four major hydrographic basins, with as many Basin Committees and Water Agencies.

The Basin Committees, which share headquarters with local officials (mayor, general and regional counselors), water consumers (industrial consumers), the environment protection association and state officials have the competence to set priorities in water management and also to approve the Water Agency programs for the following five years in point of expenditures and revenues.

These responsibilities were reinforced and extended by the Law of Waters issued in 1992.

Concerning Water Agencies, the Board of Directors of which is elected from the Basin Committee using the same algorithm of representation, their main purposes are to fight against pollution and to sustainable manage water resources, to grant financial assistance to water consumers and to be acquainted with the state of natural environment.

The Rhin-Meuse Water Agency has launched the seventh program of activities for 1997 to 2001 under the slogan: "Let's act globally for the benefit of the next generations". Within the framework of the first six programs, the accent was laid on fighting against pollution in the main cities and in the main polluting industries. Numerous successes were registered in this field.

While pollution in large towns remains a major concern, it should not be forgotten that, in France, the population (58 million persons) lives in about 36 000 communities , which induces a geographical dispersion, a spreading in the territory that make it very important for medium and even small communities to be equipped for pollution control.

On the other side, the big industrial complexes being provided with performing pollution control systems, we realized that small-scale activities account for an insignificant contribution to pollution, especially where there is a connection to an urban wastewater treatment station.

Besides, agricultural pollution control (cattle farms, nutriments and phyto-sanitary substances) becomes a necessity.

Moreover, diffuse contributions to pollution, especially those from pouring rain, represent a pollution source, which must be carefully considered.

Equipping the main cities with performing wastewater treatment stations and the control of industrial wastes are not a purpose in them; it is essential to ensure at all times a proper operation of these facilities.

Therefore, the accent in the seventh activity program (1997-2001) of the Rhin-Meuse Water Agency was placed on the following priorities:

• Remediation at the level of local communities = 1,472 Million FF (224.4 Million Euro),

• Industrial remediation = 793 Million FF (120.9 Million Euro),

• Agricultural remediation = 235 Million FF (35,8 Million Euro),

• Drinking water supply = 435 Million FF (66,32 Million Euro),

• Natural environment = 200 Million FF (30,5 Million Euro).

Such financial assistance operations for contractors over the period of 1997-2001 will be funded from the fees/fines paid by different water consumers and should generate investment works amounting to 7,170 million FF (1.1 billion Euro), in terms of the different levels of subsidy.

Therefore, The Rhin-Meuse Water Agency is a team of over 200 persons having the daily duty to explain, to convince and to make accepted our priorities and commitments for the protection of the natural environment to the benefit of future generations.

The fight against water pollution in the industrial sector France's example

The fight against water pollution in the industrial sector developed in France along two coordinates: a legislative framework and attractive financial schemes.

In point of legislation and regulation, the fight against pollution in the industrial sector goes back to the time of Napoleon Bonaparte when, around the year 1800, there were laws and decrees on "noisy, dangerous and unwholesome establishments".

The main laws in force, at the present time, in France, concerning this type of water pollution are the 1976 law on classification of installations with the decree on its application and the decision issued in February 1998 concerning standards related to landfills and resource exploitation from the natural environment.

The elaboration of the legislative and regulating policy rested with the ministries concerned that is the ministry of industry and the ministry of environment. The local enforcement of such regulations is the responsibility of the decentralized territorial units for industry, research and environment, which are requested to apply the water resource management policy in classified installations.

The financially stimulating approach falls within the range of activities of Water Agencies; these institutions were established under the terms of the 1964 law on water resource management; there is one such agency for each of the four hydrographic basins. The agencies collect fees from water consumers and fines from water polluters according to the principle "the polluter pays"; they grant financial assistance to those who are willing to protect water resources, according to the principle "the non-polluter is assisted".

Water agencies are not mere financial offices; they also provide technical assistance and counseling to the contractors so that the investments financed by said contractors/investors should fall within the priorities set up by the agency in accordance with the state of the environment in the respective area. Therefore, there is a partnership between the agency and the industrial sector; both parts work together and understand each other's priorities.

Based on the results of the six previous programs, the Rhin-Meuse Agency established the following priorities for the seventh program covering the period 1997-2001: there are some positive aspects, namely:

• most of the necessary water treatment stations are in place,

• the monitoring of their operation is satisfactory,

• the treatment yields are good,

• the fines paid by the industry are declining.

but there are still matters of concern and priorities for the 7 th program, namely:

• the management of wastes at the source can be improved,

• the reliability of equipment operation is not the best,

• sludge management is perfectible,

• pollution during pouring rain should be taken into account,

• accidental pollution can be improved.

Technical and financial assistance is provided by the Rhin -Meuse Agency to the following industrial works:

• Measurement and sample collection,

• Studies on manufacturing technologies,

• Introduction of clean technologies,

• Fight against accidental pollution,

• Treatment of polluted sites.

The financial schemes applied by the agencies are subsidized-interest loans for a period of 9 years amounting to 50 to 65% of the investment, accompanied by a subsidy of 25%. Therefore, the investor covers, from his own funds, less than 25% of the cost of the works.

The existence of water treatment stations is not a purpose in itself; their adequate operation is essential. So, a yearly subsidy of up to 40% of water treatment costs can be granted on condition that the treatment yields are good and the resulted sludge is correctly treated. Similarly, a subsidy of up to 40% of waste treatment costs can be given.

The financial commitment of all such operations is estimated at more than 120 million Euro for the 7 th program, which is about a quarter of the agency budget.

The financially stimulating approach is complementary to the regulatory activity and it is obvious that the good results reported over the last years in the fight against pollution is a consequence of the co-operation between the state, the Rhin-Meuse Agency and the industrial sector.

A reform of the activity and responsibilities of Water Agencies is now under way with the purpose to consider the globality of industrial pollution by including, for instance, the environment impact of lyes, fertilizers or phyto-sanitary products.