2018

France has 89.5% of its generated load compliant to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC).

In 2018, France counted 3178 agglomerations generating ≥2,000 p.e. each, of which:

• 2847 agglomerations, generating 65,918,928 p.e. of waste water, complied with the requirements of the Directive; and
• 331 agglomerations, generating 7,697,979 p.e. of waste water, did not comply with the requirements of the Directive.

The waste water load generated in France in 2018 was reported to be 73,616,907 p.e.

In 2018, France had not yet reached the target for treating waste water to fully comply with the Directive.

• All the waste water load is connected to collecting system; and
• 6.3% of the collected waste water load must still undergo secondary treatment in line with the requirements of the Directive (approximately 4,616,900 p.e.),
• 5.6% of the collected waste water load from agglomerations generating >10,000 p.e. and discharging into sensitive areas must still undergo more stringent treatment in line with the requirements of the Directive (approximately 2,605,900 p.e.).

0% of waste water load is addressed by means of individual or other appropriate systems (IAS) i.e. non-centralised sanitation systems (approximately 0 p.e.).

For the 3178 agglomerations, there are 3289 urban waste water treatment plants, with a total design capacity of 93,595,000 p.e., of which:

• There is no plant active but not connected to collecting system,
• 355 plants equipped with technology only for primary and secondary treatment,
• 2934 plants equipped with technology for more stringent treatment than secondary.

Based on the 2018 data, it seems that the load generated is lower than the design capacity.

Compliance rate by Article

Notice : This table contains only agglomerations with expired deadlines.

*The total [No of agglomerations] includes only those agglomerations that must provide secondary treatment / or more stringent treatment than secondary before discharging waste water from their treatment plants.

**The total [p.e. waste water load] is the sum of the load of all of the agglomerations that must provide secondary treatment or more stringent treatment than secondary before discharging waste water from their treatment plants.

Data source for table: Register, summary of MS data

68 agglomerations were not taken into account in calculations of the compliance rate for Article 4 because the agglomerations use IAS for more than 98% of the collected load.

2491 agglomerations were not taken into account in the calculation of the compliance rate for Article 5 because these agglomerations generate ≤10,000 p.e. each.

Distance to target

*The target [p.e.] for secondary treatment represents the waste water load (collected and not collected) from all agglomerations that must be subject to secondary treatment, regardless of whether or not the agglomeration complies with Article 3.

** The target for more stringent treatment represents the waste water load (collected and not collected) from all agglomerations generating >10,000 p.e. and discharging into sensitive areas (regardless of whether or not the agglomeration complies with Article 3).

Data source for table: Register, summary of MS data

The expected annual investment costs per capita for installing and renewing waste water collecting systems and treatment plants is nan EUR/inhabitant/year.

The investment needs for ensuring adequate urban waste water collection and treatment, i.e. compliance with the Directive, as estimated by the national authorities and included in their national plan, are at the level of EUR 542.13 million for the period 2020-2030. This covers works on treatment plants, with the forecasted investment cost of EUR 542.13 million (2020-2030) , and works on collecting systems and/or IAS, with a forecasted investment cost of EUR 0 million (2020-2020).However, as indicated in a recent OECD study, France would need to increase their investments further to reach and maintain compliance. The OECD projected that the financing needs by 2030 (total cumulative additional expenditures for sanitation) is EUR 31 billion.

For the reference year 2018, France reported the production of 1,096,720 tonnes of sludge. The sludge is mainly re-used for soil and agriculture (81 %) or disposed for incineration (14 %).

At 168 discharge points, treated waste water is reused for infiltration.In 2018 0.1 % of treated waste water was reported to be reused

No information was reported on storm water overflows by France.