Saur welcomes the European Union’s Water Resilience Strategy — A turning point for Europe, and a daily commitment for Saur
As climate challenges and disruptions to the water cycle become the new norm, the European Commission’s Water Resilience Strategy couldn’t come at a better time. At Saur, we welcome and actively support this long-overdue initiative. For our CEO Patrick Blethon, “It’s more than a policy framework — it’s a call to action we’ve already answered. Because building a resilient Europe means rethinking how we manage our most precious common resource: water.”
Rethinking Efficiency: Doing More with Less
The goal of “enhancing water efficiency by at least 10% by 2030” is fully aligned with Saur’s vision. From smart metering to network renewal, we constantly work to reduce losses and optimise every drop — restoring water to its rightful value. Our approach? Digital, pragmatic, and systemic.
As early as 2021, Saur aligned its financing strategy with environmental performance. Our sustainability-linked and blue bonds reflect the call for “investments that modernise infrastructure and promote circular water use.” For us, these are more than financial instruments — they fund transformation, backed by measurable KPIs on water savings, greenhouse gas emissions, and inclusion.
Digitalisation: Anticipating Rather Than Reacting
As the Strategy rightly states, “Digitalisation has significant potential for revolutionising water management and promoting sustainable water use.”
Through our subsidiary ImaGeau, we have developed the EMI platform, an AI-powered tool that forecasts groundwater levels up to 90 days in advance. This predictive capability enables local authorities and industries to anticipate drought risks and manage resources more effectively. For example, the city of Nantes, France relies on EMI to maintain its drinking water production during periods of water stress.
Additionally, ImaGeau's public service platform Info-Sécheresse.fr, aggregates over 100 million data points to provide real-time monitoring of drought conditions across France. This platform offers accessible, up-to-date information to stakeholders, facilitating informed decision-making during critical periods.
Restoring the Water Cycle: From Source to Sea
As “Freshwater is naturally stored in soils, wetlands, forests and floodplains on its way to the ocean”, making it essential to “redress the natural sponge function of our landscapes.” At Saur, we invest in nature-based solutions — from wetland restoration to green urban infrastructure — to protect biodiversity and boost resilience.
We also explore every scale of action. At the urban level, our subsidiary Odalie develops modular reuse systems that treat and recycle greywater — lightly used water from showers, sinks, and laundry — reintegrating it into local uses such as toilet flushing, irrigation or cooling. These solutions reduce pressure on freshwater resources and help cities move toward circular water models, right where the demand is highest.
And because resilience also means managing what we return to nature, our blue bonds include strict environmental criteria for desalination projects, ensuring they are in water-stressed areas and equipped with brine treatment solutions that limit marine impact.
Looking Ahead
The publication of the European Water Resilience Strategy is more than a milestone — it’s a mandate. At Saur, we’re ready to deliver on it by fostering collaboration, scaling digital solutions, and designing infrastructure that works with nature, not against it.