Lafarge France

Objective

To reduce groundwater withdrawal (Beauce).

Context

Beauce is the largest aquifer of France and is suffering from a strong constraint of usage to feed agricultural and domestic needs as it supplies the Ile de France region and Beauce region which is the wheat granary of France.

Solution

Lafarge teams have set up a system for recovering water, namely rainwater harvested and water used for washing aggregates.

These waters are transported to ponds with pumps equipped with sensor and trigger level. When the plant is running, the charged water is sent to the clarifier that will separate the fines. The overflow is pumped to the clean water storage , and this is used as the water supply for the entire plant.

Results

This recycling has limited the use of this resource, that is to say pumping less groundwater from Beauce aquifer.