First in France: A mobile atmospheric water generator!

Faced with the need to find new water resources, the Région has acquired the first mobile atmospheric water generator, with a nominal production capacity of 500 liters per day, energetically autonomous thanks to the use of solar panels and batteries.

Première en France : Un générateur d’eau atmosphérique mobile !

PLAN OR BLEU An excellent initiative for François de Canson: 'Every day, all over the world, we feel the effects of climate change. Today, no one can deny its impact on water resources. All studies predict a decline in groundwater levels and flow rates in watercourses in the coming years, according to the Bureau de recherche géologique et minière (BRGM), particularly because periods of long droughts are more frequent.

But let us not forget that managing water scarcity has always been part of our region's history' (...)

As early as 2018, on the initiative of president Renaud Muselier, the Région therefore adopted a Plan Or bleu dedicated to water resources (800 million mobilized) with the SCP in a leading role. With this plan, the region carries out a mission of animation and consultation in the field of management and protection of water resources and aquatic environments, alongside the État and the Agence de l'eau. The plan is structured around 6 areas.

First, to improve governance through the steering of the animation and consultation mission on water and to pursue the modernization of irrigation networks and water savings in agriculture. Second, to position itself as an exemplary local authority regarding its heritage and to promote sobriety for all water uses and in all professional sectors. Finally, the Région is developing innovation in the field of reusing treated wastewater, and communicating to the general public on the necessary sobriety of everyone in water use.

EXCEPTIONAL INNOVATION 'In 2023, with president Renaud Muselier, we traveled to Israël, an exemplary country in water management. This trip reinforced our triple vision: sobriety of uses, monitoring and maintenance of networks, and innovation, in particular the reuse of wastewater.

On this point, our objective is to reach 10% reuse in the Var. Currently, 17 wastewater treatment plants discharge water into the sea, totaling more than 50 million cubic meters per year. Reusing treated water from the coastline would reduce pressure on the water resource of the Verdon.

We are working on this file with the operators Suez and Véolia, who accompanied us during our mission in Israël.

As part of its Plan Or bleu, the Région has acquired an exceptional innovation on an experimental basis with this atmospheric water generator. The Société du Canal de Provence experimented with this solution in Rians from August 19 to 25. Today, this experimentation continues in Bormes-les-Mimosas.

The objective is to test the productivity of the generators under the climatic conditions of the different areas of the territory, from the coast to mountainous areas and inland'.

In concrete terms, the amount of water produced depends on the temperature and humidity rate of the area concerned. With a nominal production capacity of 500 to 600 liters per day, this generator works autonomously thanks to 14 solar panels and batteries. Its development was designed by the company AirDrink, a company from Bouches-du-Rhône.

'From 2025, the generator will be loaned to municipalities and public establishments for inter-municipal cooperation (EPCI) that lack water during periods of drought. For now, there is only one copy of this 21st-century water generator, but in view of its excellent results, I am certain that this new technology will see further development in the months and years to come,' announces François de Canson.