French industry learns to reduce its water consumption

Bad times for the industry. In addition to the risk of being rationed in gas, even in electricity this winter because of the energy crisis, here it is, this summer, faced with water restrictions. In many departments in crisis, levies must currently be reduced. The period of exceptional drought that France is going through is a warning sign for a sector which represents 8% of water withdrawals. Among the biggest consumers are chemicals, steel, food and paper.

Among others, the dairy sector fears bearing the brunt of the drought. “The drought decrees that the prefects can take locally concern usunderlines François-Xavier Huard, director general of the federation of dairy industries (Fnil). In some departments, such as Morbihan or Finistère, they have already prepared minds for possible closures of industrial sites to save water. The dairy industry is a big consumer…