Lille Metropole's water policy nationally awarded

Water sobriety ranks in Lille Metropole’s top priorities regarding its limited water resources weakened by the decreasing pluviometry. To this extend, the metropole set up an unprecedented initiative in Europe :  a new innovative, performant and responsible contract with the Véolia concession holder will actively counter water leaks and support resources savings.

With an economic model based on progressivity of the water purchase price for the concession holder, this policy introduces maximum volumes along with doubling the purchase price as a dissuasive effect. The aim is to reduce groundwater abstraction, but also avoid the abstraction of poor quality water resources, whose treatments coasts would be higher due to higher energy consumption. A win-win situation to deal with the services’ costs and reduce the users’ bills.

Concretely, Lille Metropole and Véolia will implement :

• 5,000 sensors and probes on the network (874 probes for now) to detect and identify water leaks,
• a « leak alert » system within 48h and a « consumption coach » to help users managing their consumptions via connected apps
• 550,000 kits to support ecogestures
• Support and guidance for « huge consumers » (housing associations, co-ownership managers, companies and authorities) with 1,200 water sobriety contracts

The solidary aspect set up since 2016, with a social pricing for precarious users, will also be reinforced by the new concession contract that provides for :

• 1,1 million euros per year in social pricing, water cheques and solidary housing funds
• Prices shield of 3% of the wages for users with a reasoned consumption, in accordance with OCDE recommendations and thanks to a partnership with CAF du Nord (French family allowances fund) and MSA (agricultural social security)

Going even further than the National Water Plan amibitions, Lille Metropole’s water sobriety policy stands as a first one in France and Europe. With the recent award of the Marianne d’or, the project aims to become a reference at the national level by setting rapid actions on the 2024-2033 period to save 65 millions m3 of water, the equivalent of one year water abstraction.