Watering green spaces, washing metro trains: in Toulouse, we save water thanks to a service station that treats wastewater

Wastewater treated to be used for watering green spaces, cleaning wastewater networks and supplying road sweepers responsible for cleaning public spaces in the metropolis of Toulouse (Haute-Garonne).

Since mid-November, community agents have been coming to refuel at the wastewater distribution service station treated by the Ginestous depollution plant, an initiative which makes it possible to no longer use drinking water for these cleaning or watering operations.

Tests on the pitch at the Toulouse stadium

In France, only 1% of wastewater is reused, unlike Spain which reaches 14% and Italy 9%. In the Pink City, this new distribution terminal was co-financed by the Adour Garonne water agency and is part of the Val’Réu project, aiming to develop the reuse of treated wastewater.

Already used to water the green spaces of the Ginestous factory, the metropolis is testing other uses of this resource with ongoing experiments. “Watering tests carried out on test plots of lawn at the Toulouse Stadium aim to compare the growth of the lawn depending on the type of watering and check the adaptation of the lawn to the performance challenges linked to professional sport,” explains Toulouse Métropole. A feasibility study was launched with Tisséo to supply the future Daturas workshop, located on the future metro line C, in order to wash the trains and tunnels with treated wastewater.

The reuse of treated wastewater for sanitary supply is also tested. In total, this service station saves half a million cubic meters of drinking water every year.