Science at UM [S03-ep01]: A new decree for REUT

[Podcast] - Published on September 21, 2023 in Science-Society

For this third season of A l'UM la science, we talk about wastewater reuse with Marc Heran, a researcher at the European Membrane Institute (IEM) and Vincent Moulia, a doctoral student atIEM, G-Eau, and the LBE in Narbonne. The report takes you to the membrane filtration hall with Omar Samhari, a postdoctoral researcher atIEM. Finally, Gautier Desmoulins from Montpellier University Hospital presents World Heart Day.

On August 30, as you finished your last mojitos and put away your suitcases and swimsuits, the government issued a decree eagerly awaited by local authorities, finally relaxing regulations on the reuse of wastewater for agriculture.

So why the long wait? First, because it was announced back in March during the presentation of the major water plan. Second, because France is lagging far behind in this area. In France, less than 1% of treated wastewater is used for irrigation, compared to 8% in Italy, 14% in Spain, and even 80% in Israel. At a time when drought is affecting more and more regions in France and 62% of groundwater levels were below their normal average on September¹, it is no longer tenable to do without such a resource.

So what does this decree allow, what are the benefits in terms of water savings, and what are the potential impacts on soil? These are some of the questions we will be asking our two guests over the next 20 minutes. Marc Heran is a researcher at the European Membrane Institute (IEM) and Vincent Moulia is a doctoral student atIEM, G-Eau, and the LBE in Narbonne. Both are participating in an experiment that has been underway for several years in the Montpellier metropolitan area in Murviel-lès-Montpellier. They are co-authors of an article in the journal Science of The Total Environment, which we have drawn on: "Short-term effect of the quality gradient of reclaimed wastewater on the soil microbiome during irrigation."

In the second part of the program, we take you to the European Membrane Institute, specifically to the membrane filtration hall. This facility allows different filtration techniques to be implemented, from laboratory scale to pre-industrial scale. Omar Samhari,IEM postdoctoral researcher atIEM shows us how seawater can be desalinated to produce drinking water using reverse osmosis. 

Finally, our guest for the last three minutes is Gautier Desmoulins, who is here to tell us about World Heart Day, an event aimed at raising public awareness of cardiology, which will be held on September 29 in Antigone.

At UM Science, you have the program, so let's get started!

Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Aline Périault / Lucie Lecherbonnier
Reporting and editing: Aline Périault
Production: Tom Chevalier

Listen to the program “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9

Keywords: Science at UM, Research, Science, Company