Aéroports de Paris (ADP) has entrusted Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux with rainwater treatment at Roissy-CDG airport. The contract, won by five of the group's companies (Lyonnaise des Eaux, Degrémont, Jean Lefebvre, Chantiers Modernes and Safège) bears both on designing and building the rainwater treatment plant (FrF 69 million) and on operating the facilities for a five-year period (FrF 35 million in total). It is scheduled to come into service in the autumn of 1999.

Its purpose is to treat environmentally undesirable products such as kerosene, de-frosting and de-icing products spread on the runways as well as accidental pollution (chemicals or hydrocarbons), particularly in the case of storms or heavy rain.

The facilities will comply with the extremely strict standards applied in terms of rainwater discharge into the Seine and the Marne river basins.

The experience Lyonnaise des Eaux* has acquired at Orly airport over the past three years has enabled it to optimize rainwater treatment through a set of innovative processes. These processes detect coming storms and heavy rain, follow the quality of the water in the network and isolate accidental and chronic pollution. Additionally, a biological process - Biofor - will be used for the purification. Roissy-CDG airport will be one of the world's few airports to be equipped with a rainwater treatment plant that uses such high-performance technology.

This project is part of an ambitious overall environmental protection policy conducted by ADP for several years now featuring many actions in connection with noise, air, waste and water.
ADP was granted financial aid to carry out this program by the Ile-de-France Region and the Seine-Normandie Water Authority.