The document summarizes a call for projects in France from 2013-2018 regarding micropollutants in urban waters. The call aims to test innovative solutions to manage micropollutants at a local scale by empowering local authorities, industries, and scientists to collaborate on projects. Thirteen projects were selected that address domestic pollution, pollution from rainfall, health activities, and multi-source pollution. The expected results include improved diagnosis of micropollutants, more efficient reduction treatments, and promoting behavior changes among stakeholders to reduce micropollutants and support a green economy.

1. Call for projects 2013-2018:
“Innovation and practice
change- Micropollutants in
urban waters”
Olivier Gras
Policy advisor
Directorate for Water and Biodiversity
Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition,
France

2. 2
Context on micropollutants
 EU framework
Ex: Water Framework Directive
 Other examples: REACH, biocides
and PPP regulations
 National initiatives
Ex: Micropollutants Plan 2016-2021
 Other examples: Ecophyto Plan,
Research campaigns for hazardous
substances in WWTP and industrial sites

3. 3
Why a call for projects about
CECs?
 CECs are a complex subject
 Complexity of risk assessment
 Variety of compounds
 Complexity of interactions
 Lack of reliable data
 Using a call for projects allows us to:
 Empower local collectivities and stakeholders
 Widen the field of proposed solutions
 Test innovative solutions at the local scale
 Create a collective dynamic, associating citizens and their representatives
 Promote collaboration between scientists, local authorities, industrials…
 Get a comprehensive and sharable view of the issue
Not good candidates for
regulation
(e.g setting maximum emission
limits or restrictions of use)

4. 4
What are the characteristics of this
call for projects?
Targeted groups:
Collectivities and local
managers
Industrials and
craftsmen
Scientific community
Targeted issues:
Diagnosis
Impacts on environmental and human
health
Socio-economic feasibility
Measures of reduction
Practice change
…
Governance:
National committee
Steering committees
for each project
Financing:
10M€ on a 5 year-period
Mix of local (water
agencies) and national
(AFB) subsidies

5. 5
What themes are covered?
Management
of domestic
pollution
(pharmaceutical
residues,
cosmetics,
household
products…)
Management of
pollution during
rainfalls
(urban runoff, storm
overflows…)
Management of
pollution from
health-related
activities
(hospitals, home-
care…)
 34 answers were received
 13 projects selected
 All 13 involved local authorities
 Well distributed on the territory
Multi-source
pollutions
(planification at city-
level, source
identification…)
3
3
3
4

6. 6
What are the expected results?
Social outcomes
 Investigate consumer behaviors related to
PCP and their impacts
 Analyze awareness around the issue of
micropollutants
 Focus on the whistleblower phenomenon
 Identify opportunities and challenges for
practice changes
Related projects: Cosmeteau, Rempar
Environmental: health activities
 Modelization of contamination by health-
related chemicals and their metabolites
 Field analysis and screening campaigns
 Sewage waters analysis regarding legal and
illicit drug uses
 Analysis in sludge, sediments and passive
sampling
Related projects: Rilact, Seneur
Environmental: pollution load
 Separate micropollutants at the source and
test adequate treatments for each pathway
Test a membrane bioreactor downstream of
a hospital
 Measure toxic effects before and after
treatment
Related projects: SMS, Micropolis, Rempar
Management of territories
 Identify priority sectors based on emissions
and sensitivity
 Use demonstrators to promote practice
changes among some professions
 Identify pollution profiles related to different
sectors and explore reduction measures
 Explore reuse of treated wastewater for
irrigation of sugarcane
Related projects: Lumieau, Regard,
Microreuse

7. 7
Key messages
 The call for projects relies on cooperation between local authorities, economic
actors and water managers
 Great potential for innovation in territories on this topic
 Opportunity to bolster green economy
 Selected projects cover a wide range of thematics associated with CECs
(rainwater, domestic source, health-related activities)
 Outcomes include solutions for better diagnostic, efficient reduction and
practice changes from various types of stakeholders
 Social and economic aspects are essential to understand how to bolster
practice changes, and must work hand in hand with technological solutions
 Circulating and communicating around practice changes and their benefits is a
challenge to ensure such initiatives can be replicated at the national scale

8. Thank you for your
attention
Acknowledgments to the French Agency for
Biodiversity and to all the project pilots
Contact: olivier.gras@developpement-durable.gouv.fr
BIOTECH
COSMET’EAU
LUMIEAU
MATRIOCHKAS
MICROMEGAS
MICROPOLIS
MICRo-REUSE
REGARD
REMPAR
ROULEPUR
SENEUR
SIPIBEL-RILACT
SMS