How our Speichim Processing facility in Beaufort-Orbagna Cut Its Drinking Water Consumption in Half

A cooling tower, the primary point of consumption

Specializing in the treatment and purification of solvents, the Speichim Processing site in Beaufort-Orbagna had undertaken a detailed analysis of its water usage. The findings were clear: all of the water consumed came from the municipal water supply, and the vast majority—more than 95%—was used by a single piece of equipment, the cooling tower (TAR).

A TAR is an industrial cooling system that dissipates heat from a process by evaporating water in a stream of air. It is a robust technology widely used in the chemical industry, but it is also very water-intensive: it must be continuously supplied with water to compensate for losses due to evaporation and drainage.

The solution: collect, treat, and use rainwater

The site had an underutilized asset: an existing basin designed to collect rainwater from the roofs. Until then, this water was stored and then discharged when excess. An available and abundant resource.

The idea: to replace the drinking water from the municipal supply with this rainwater to feed the cooling tower. Although seemingly simple, the solution nevertheless involved overcoming a real technical challenge. Raw rainwater cannot be injected directly into an industrial system: it contains bacteria and suspended particles, and its variable composition could damage the equipment.

To design the appropriate treatment system, the site relied on the expertise of Odyssée Environnement, a partner of Speichim Beaufort for over 20 years. The proposed solution is based on:

• a pressurization of the collected rainwater,
• a mechanical filtration and a bacteriological treatment using UV lamps,
• precise dosing via a mixing valve, controlled by the site’s PLC, to continuously adjust the ratio of rainwater to municipal water based on the required quality.

The project’s key advantage: its ease of implementation. No major modifications to the facilities or operating conditions were necessary, and Odyssée Environnement also handles regulatory compliance and monitoring of bacteriological risks.

And the solution can potentially be replicated at other sites equipped with cooling towers!

46% reduction in drinking water usage

The results are measurable: the site can now supply its cooling tower with up to 80% rainwater, with the remaining 20% coming from the municipal water supply. For a modest total investment, it has reduced its potable water consumption by 46%. This expense was quickly recouped through savings on the water bill, as well as on treatment chemicals and the salt used for the water softener.

Water conservation: a global industrial challenge

Repeated droughts, conflicts over water use, increasingly strict regulations…The entire industry is facing the growing scarcity of water resources. Water is no longer an abundant and inexpensive input; it is becoming a resource that must be actively conserved

That is why the Séché Environnement Group has set an ambitious goal: to reduce its water withdrawals by 15% by 2030 (based on 2023 levels). This is one of the first commitments of its kind for a French company in the sector. It is based on science and planetary boundaries, as required by the Science Based Targets for Nature (SBTn) approach that the Group has adopted.

In fact, the Speichim Processing plant in Beaufort-Orbagna is not an isolated case. Several of the Group’s sites are implementing similar initiatives:

• at Trédi Salaise-sur-Sanne, a technical and economic study has established a roadmap toward near-zero water withdrawal;
• At ECO, a Singapore-based subsidiary, treated effluent is combined with collected rainwater to feed the incineration process, resulting in an estimated 8% reduction in the site’s total water consumption.

Across the Group, the volume of recycled or reused water increased by 40% in 2025, reaching nearly 475,000 m³.