The agglomeration of Bassin de Brive (France) innovates to preserve its resources by entrusting the SUEZ Group with its public drinking water and sanitation services

The agglomeration of Bassin de Brive, a pioneer in sustainable resource management in France
The Corrèze department experiences drought episodes in summer linked to climate change. The Brive area, which has strong ambitious in terms of economic and tourist appeal, wishes to secure and economize water resources and adapt their management by using innovative technologies and the mobilization of citizens.
The agglomeration has therefore set the main target for the new public service delegation at a 21% reduction in the quantity of water taken from the natural environment. This target is reflected in a virtuous economic and contractual model which links the operator's payment to the annual decrease in volumes. 

Digital technology at the service of users and the preservation of water resources
The water service will combine technical innovations and digital tools. Deploying remote metering throughout the agglomeration will enable users to monitor their consumption in real time, allowing them to reduce it if necessary and to detect potential leaks.  
To prevent these from occurring, from the intake to the tap, via the networks, SUEZ is committed to increasing the number of connections renewed each year and reducing repair times.
The efficiency of the service will depend on the ability of the teams to react quickly thanks to the feedback and analysis of network operating data. They will be aggregated and analyzed continuously in an intelligent control center in Brive to simplify decision-making and optimize interventions.

A comprehensive system to improve inhabitants’ control of water consumption
By 2024, all inhabitants of the Brive Basin agglomeration will be equipped with the remote meter reading system. They will benefit from continuous monitoring tool of their water consumption. Everyone will be able to consult their consumption at any time on the Internet and be notified by SMS or e-mail of an unusual increase or leak in their private installation.
This is the first step towards a connected territory. The latest generation equipment will send aggregated data to the water department, enabling accurate and reliable monitoring of the territory’s water resource needs.
As awareness of one's consumption is essential to changing practices, each user will have a customizable digital application to help them reduce their consumption, associated with remote metering. In addition, the agglomeration has decided to provide households with free hydro-economy equipment. To support these efforts, a fully-fledged effort to mobilize residents will be made from 2022. This approach includes raising awareness, monitoring and sharing consumption trends. 

The water service: a lever to support economic development and employment in the region
About ten SMEs from Brive will be working on the water and sanitation service. They will contribute their expertise to this service in the context of a "Small Business Act.” These measures and long-term commitments by SUEZ will enable them to develop their activity sustainably and create local jobs. This will include dredging the sanitation network and public works activities.
The economic terms of the new contract will allow the agglomeration to increase investment in the renovation of the sanitation network to 1 million euros per year. This additional business for local businesses may help to create several long-term jobs.

Frédéric Soulier, President of the Communauté d’Agglomération du Bassin de Brive: “The renewal of the water and sanitation markets is a big challenge for the agglomeration, as it lies at the intersection of several major issues: preservation of water resources, financial and technical efficiency, with the aim of providing users with a more efficient service combined with stable bills. The level of the candidates and the quality of the applications show that our Agglomeration has the potential to become an example on these issues in the future.”