What if our wastewater became a resource?

Lecture by Julie MENDRET (University of Montpellier, European Institute of Membranes).

In the face of recurring droughts and water scarcity, can we continue to use this resource only once? Part of the solution may lie in our wastewater.

After being carefully treated, this water can be given a second life: irrigating crops or green spaces, cleaning streets, helping to fight fires, or even replenishing groundwater aquifers. This practice, known as treated wastewater reuse (TWRU), is a particularly promising approach in Mediterranean regions, which are highly vulnerable to water stress.

But how do we remove microbes, drug residues, and other micropollutants from water? What uses are possible without posing a risk to health and the environment? And why is France still lagging behind in this area?

Julie Mendret, a researcher at the European Institute of Membranes and a senior lecturer (HDR) at the University of Montpellier – Polytech Montpellier, will introduce us to the technologies that make it possible to transform our wastewater into a new resource. She will also discuss the benefits of this solution, its limitations, and the obstacles that continue to hinder its development in France.