Effluent Treatment : Compliance and Safety

What regulations apply to phytosanitary effluents?

Water used to wash equipment used to treat plant protection products is classified as dangerous for the environment.

In fact, the concentration of toxic products is still high in this water and it cannot therefore be discharged directly into the environment. The Order of 4 May 2017, relating to the marketing and use of these products, sets out the rules for managing these phytosanitary effluents. This often requires changes to be made within the farm to bring it up to standard.

Washing area

It is possible to manage all effluents in the field, but it is often more practical to wash equipment on the farm in a watertight area where the water can be collected specifically. Once collected, this phytosanitary effluent must be treated by one of the systems approved by the Ministry.

The decree on the use of plant protection products of 4 May 2017 (updating the 2006 decree) sets out a number of obligations on filling and washing sprayers.

It defines what constitutes a phytosanitary effluent: any product-laden water is a phytosanitary effluent (tank bottoms, spray equipment cleaning water, tank overflow during filling, etc.)

The decree requires :

The installation of a means of protecting the water supply network (non-return system).
A means of preventing spillage into the environment during filling.
Rinsing the packaging with clean water. This rinsing water should then be emptied into the spray tank.
The possibility of rinsing the treated area by adding a volume of water at the end of the treatment equal to at least 5 times the volume of the tank bottom.

The decree authorises several solutions for managing the remaining tank contents and sprayer wash water:

Either all in the plot under certain conditions.
Or separate recovery of tank bottoms and sprayer wash water in a sealed area, and treatment using one of the validated processes before spreading (under certain conditions) or treatment as hazardous waste by an approved organisation.

The decree also sets out the conditions for the storage of phytosanitary effluents:

It must not be located above residential premises or premises occupied by a third party.
Storage under a canopy must be at least 10 m from the property boundary.
A distance of more than 5 m from property boundaries for enclosed storage.
More than 50 m from a water catchment point, spring, watercourse or rainwater collection system (exemption if retention tank).
Watertight tank (no leakage or infiltration).

If the storage is double-walled or with retention, these conditions are no longer compulsory.

What regulations apply to wine effluent?

Producing quality wines requires compliance with hygiene procedures that involve the use of large quantities of water. The waste water produced is a major source of organic pollution, particularly during the harvest.

This effluent results from the various washing operations generated by the winemaking activity: washing the equipment from harvesting to bottling, washing the cellar floors and descaling water or juice.
They comprise an insoluble and a soluble part. It is these elements in solution that pose a problem, as they are rapidly degraded by micro-organisms when effluents are discharged into the aquatic environment. This degradation is accompanied by a high consumption of oxygen, which can cause asphyxiation of the environment and lead to the destruction of fish fauna.

It is for this reason that the direct discharge of untreated wine effluent into the natural environment is strictly prohibited. The regulations require all wineries, whatever their production volume, to have a solution for treating their cellar effluent.

This applies to all wineries, regardless of the volume of wine produced. In the event of an inspection by the Water Police (DDTM department), the penalties can be very severe.

The requirements for treating wine effluent are set out in various regulations (public health codes, regulations governing facilities classified for environmental protection, etc.). With the exception of distilleries, wineries were not covered by the regulations governing facilities classified for environmental protection (ICPE). The decree of 29 December 1993 brought them under this regime.

The ICPE regulations set out the procedures to be followed to minimise environmental risks for wineries with a production capacity of between 500 hl and 20,000 hl (wineries subject to declaration, Decree of 15 March 1999) or over 20,000 hl (wineries subject to registration, Decree of 26 November 2012 or wineries subject to authorisation, Decree of 3 May 2000). Effluent treatment is compulsory and facilities must be declared to the ICPE department.

In addition, whatever their production volume, wineries must comply with general regulations such as the Environmental Code and the departmental health regulations.

Declaration procedure

For wineries subject to the ICPE (Installations Classées pour la Protection de l'Environnement - Classified Facilities for Environmental Protection) declaration procedure, with a production volume of between 500 hl and 20,000 hl, any change to the operation, such as the construction of a building or the installation of an effluent treatment system, must be notified to the authorities before the work is carried out.

For a number of years now, it has been possible tomake the initial declaration of a winery or modification to installations online. The procedure is fairly straightforward. If you are in charge of a winery that makes wine from grapes and would like to do so, click on the following link: Declare your winery online.
The documents issued after the declaration (proof of deposit and summary of the declaration) must be kept.

Checks on wineries during the harvest

During the harvest and vinification period, checks are carried out on the wineries.
Several bodies are involved: the Water Police (DDTM department), the Installations Classées pour la Protection de l'Environnement (ICPE, DDPP department), the Agence Française pour la Biodiversité (French Biodiversity Agency) and, in support, the Gendarmerie Nationale.
When pollution of the natural environment is observed, these people can enter the farms that are the source of the pollution. They then carry out an inspection of existing installations for managing wine effluents.

Declaration request documents are available:

What regulations apply to spreading?

Three regulatory texts serve as a basis for defining the obligations to be met when spreading wine effluent:

The Order of 15 March 1999 on the general requirements applicable to facilities classified for environmental protection subject to declaration under heading 2251 (preparation and packaging of wine, with a production capacity of more than 500 hl/year but less than 20,000 hl/year).
The decree of 22 November 1993 relating to the code of good agricultural practice.
The decree of 12 June 1996, which lays down the conditions for land application in wineries with an annual production capacity of less than 500 hl.

What do the regulations require?

Effluents must not be harmful to the environment. Sprayer wash water must therefore be separated from wine effluent and treated using specific techniques defined in the decree of 12 September 2006.
The farm must have effluent or sludge storage capacity of at least 5 peak days. For the award of subsidies, this storage capacity is increased to 60% of the annual volume of effluent.
The manure must be spread on cultivated land (cereals, grassland, etc.). Meadows are considered to be cultivated land insofar as they are exported, i.e. hay is harvested. Nitrogen inputs must be calculated to avoid exceeding the soil's absorption capacity and to ensure that neither prolonged stagnation, run-off outside the spreading field, nor rapid percolation to groundwater occurs.
The quantity of nitrogen applied, from all sources, must not exceed 350 kg/ha/year for grassland and 200 kg/ha/year for other crops (except legumes). In vulnerable areas, the amount of nitrogen must not exceed 170 kg/ha/year.
The application of effluents must be avoided during periods of leaching on soils with insufficient plant cover to absorb nitrates. For wine-growing effluent (high C/N fertiliser), spreading is inappropriate on spring field crops from 1 July to 31 August.
It is forbidden to spread wine-growing effluent less than 35 m from watercourses, 100 m from any premises inhabited or occupied by third parties and on soils with a steep slope in conditions that would result in run-off outside the spreading field.
A spreading plan will specify the location, surface area and use of available land, as well as the projected frequency and volume of spreading. The following will be recorded in a spreading book: spreading dates, volumes and quantities of nitrogen spread from all sources, as well as the receiving plots and the nature of the crops. Models of spreading plans and books are available from the Chamber of Agriculture. Click on the following link to download them: a pre-filled model of spreading plan and book, as well as a guide with advice on how to complete them.

What should the spreading plan contain?

The spreading plan is a summary document describing the farm, the spreading system, the parcels to be spread and the spreading methods.

Description of the farm

This section of the spreading plan gives details of the farm and its characteristics (surface area under vines and volume of wine produced). The origin and quantities of water used should also be indicated, along with a description of the various drainage networks (rainwater, cooling water, wine effluent and other effluent). The various networks must be separate, with the exception of rainwater and cooling water, which may be combined. Open-circuit cooling (e.g. lost-water run-off) is prohibited above 5 m3/d.

Description of the spreading system

This indicates the nature of the pre-treatment carried out and the method of spreading (slurry tanker or sprinkler).

Determining the quantity of effluent to be spread per hectare of land

Knowing the plant's requirements in terms of mineral elements, and more specifically potash, makes it possible to define the maximum dose to be applied each year. The annual volume of effluent that can be spread is calculated on the basis of the plant's needs and the concentration of potash in the effluent. The texture of the soil and its useful reserves will provide information for assessing the amount of water to be applied during each pass.
Spreading periods are scheduled during the warmest and least rainy periods.

Remember : spreading on vines in production is prohibited during the vegetative period (from April to harvest). The fertilisation of plots selected for spreading must be reasoned according to the composition of the effluent spread and more particularly its potassium concentration.

Description of effluent storage before spreading

To cope with unfavourable weather conditions, difficulties accessing fields or excessive workloads, the establishment must have watertight safety storage. The storage capacity to be provided depends on the volumes of water consumed, the type of spreading system used and the constraints mentioned above. It should be equal to at least 40 to 50% of the annual effluent production, although it is advisable to be sufficiently sure of its size.

All waste from washing associated with the wine-making activity must be sent to the storage facility after a more or less thorough screening depending on the spreading solution chosen downstream. Clean water (rainwater and run-off) can be sent directly to the ditch.

the storage tank must be located more than 100 m from dwellings for open storage and more than 5 m from roads. It must be as far away as possible from wells, boreholes, springs, aqueducts and installations used to store drinking water (for example, a distance of 35 m is required for livestock effluent). The position of the storage facilities in relation to the winery should be marked on a map.

Remember : certain precautions must also be taken to avoid any risk of accident, both at the design stage and during use. These include -for closed tanks, manholes, ladders and a ventilation system. Safety instructions must be followed when cleaning and maintaining closed storage facilities (risk of asphyxiation and explosion).

Drawing up a spreading logbook

In order to provide proof that spreading has been carried out correctly, it is essential to keep a spreading logbook. It must contain various items of information: date, location, surface area involved in spreading and volume of effluent spread. It must be kept up to date and can be used as proof in the event of an inspection by the Classified Installations and also as part of the allocation of the purification premium to establishments concerned by the Adour-Garonne Water Agency levy.
Model spreading plans and books are also available on the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture website.

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