1. 1 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 GROUNDWATER PROTECTION IN FRANCE Laurent PAVARD ARTOIS PICARDIE WATER AGENCY

2. 2 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 The share of groundwater in drinking water supply in France NUMBER OF POINTS TOTAL : 36,281 abstraction points VOLUME TOTAL : 6.5 Billion M3 Yearly

3. 3 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Drinking water quality problems Million % Non conformity problems according to a 1991 enquiry by the health ministry on distribution units with more than 10 000 inhabitants

4. 4 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 The French protection scheme : protection areas Limitation of harmful activities in the vicinity of the abstraction point 3 zones : –immediate inner protection area Intended to protect the well itself : usually around 100 m2 Must be the property of the drinking water utility and closed. –Inner protection area Security area for point source pollution. Limitations of soil uses, pollution reduction works to be carried out. Usually designed to encompass the 50 day water transit limit up to 10 hectares or more –outer protection area Not mandatory; catchment area. Soil use recommendations. Up to 100 hectares or more

5. 5 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Typical protection area sketch « Immediate » inner protection area Inner protection area Outer protection area Groundwater flow

6. 6 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Reality beneath the surface...

7. 7 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 The protection procedure’s 6 phases 1-Protection to be decided by the public utility 2-Studies to be undertaken on technical and legal fields : –Geology and hydrogeology : characteristics of the groundwater Flow speed catchment area vulnerability –Soil property and use, pollution pressure –A hydrogeologist is commissioned to propose a protection scheme 3-A public enquiry is organised with 2 possible outcomes : –protection scheme approved –further studies requested

8. 8 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 The protection procedure’s 6 phases 4-Public utility is registered by the local government authorities 5-Soil use limitations are recorded in the property registers ( property expropriation when necessary) 6-Vulnerability reduction works are realised within the 2 inner areas PROTECTION COMPLETE Average cost of the procedure : –Studies : < 23 000 € for 90% of the cases (average ~ 11 000 € in Artois Picardie basin) –Works : < 38 000 € for 70% of the cases

9. 9 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 The role of the stakeholders Public utility (municipalities or intermunicipal authorities in most cases) are in charge of implementing the protection –Decide to launch the procedure –Carry out the preliminary studies –Can be delegated to private authorities or to “departments” Government local authorities organise the public enquiries and register the public utility Water agencies and “departments” subsidise the costs

10. 10 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Abstraction points protection status in France (groundwater) 11% 27% 20% 11%

11. 11 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Protection procedure pro’s and con’s PRO’S –Quite good protection, especially for proximity point source pollution Microbiology Chemical pollution (pesticides, fuel leaks, road accidents…) Cheap measure CON’S –Politically difficult to implement especially in small towns due to farmers lobbying –Long and complex procedure –No protection from diffuse pollution : inefficient considering nitrate or pesticide

12. 12 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Coping with diffuse pollution : the “Escrebieux” valley study Surface ~ 95 km2 Geological layer : chalk Soil occupation : mainly agriculture Water resource for nearby cities Nitrate pollution

13. 13 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Proposed protection areas Immediate proximity area ~40 Ha

14. 14 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Quality concerns : nitrate values

15. 15 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001

16. 16 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Analysis performed on interstitial water NO 3 - NH 4 + CL - B Dampness g/kg Organic carbon g/kg Watertable

17. 17 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001

18. 18 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Conclusion of the study Nitrate pollution progression ~ 0.5 m/year Pollution delay up to 30/40 years (nitrate) Strong traces of past agricultural practice within interstitial water Nitrate concentration up to 300 mg/l or more within interstitial water in unsaturated zone Serious concerns due to the legacy from the past (tons of nitrogen/hectare) How will it show up in the future? Further studies, including pollution modelling to be carried out

19. 19 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Protecting against diffuse pollution: a difficult and unrewarding policy Long term and uncertain effects Numerous stakeholders, vast areas Difficulty to prove and assess real pollution Available tools not totally satisfying : –Regulation Costly and difficult to enforce; Address only a part of the problem (e.g. nitrate directive, mainly focused on manure) Efficient concerning pesticides (phase out the most harmful compounds) –Good agricultural practices agreements Financial compensations? (CF European common agricultural policy) Controls?

20. 20 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 Protecting against diffuse pollution : a difficult and unrewarding policy (2) Available tools not totally satisfying (following) : –soil appropriation Costly and necessary on limited areas Through abstraction points protection procedure, this solution is increasingly implemented (e.g. recent protection procedure, immediate protection area increased to 40 hectare) Modifying the too protective farming status is a necessity –Economic incentives : polluters pays principle Taxation base difficult to establish However a solution is under study through farm accounting for nitrate balance Pesticide taxation already implemented in France Political feasibility ?

21. 21 PROTECTION OF GROUNDWATER USED AS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY BUDAPEST 8-10 NOV 2001 CONCLUSION Cleverly designed combination of available tools is necessary to achieve results Economic regulation is essential No hope for short term results Pessimistic view on the long time Water treatment facilities will be built in polluted zones rising economical, social and political issues