COTRAM Assainissement established a Research and Development (R&D) department in 2014 to innovate, improve and develop the wastewater treatment systems we offer. One of the initial benefits is the introduction of the first planted filter systems in the French Overseas Departments (DOM).
The construction of wastewater treatment plants in Mansarde Rancée and Taupinière in Martinique is part of the ATTENTIVE research project. This project, led by the Martinique Water Authority and funded by ONEMA, aims to adapt the planted filter system to the tropical context. Sanitation challenges are significant in the French Overseas Departments (DOM), territories marked by a certain lag in the development of wastewater treatment infrastructure. The planted filter system, inspired by the functioning of wetlands, appears particularly interesting due to its robustness and low construction and operating costs, making it the preferred system for small communities in mainland France. Initial tests were conducted by Irstea in Mayotte starting in 2006.
These initial results in tropical environments led to further development in sizing. More ambitious goals for nitrogen treatment led us to design the Mansarde Rancée and Taupinière plants in a completely innovative way: not only are they the first plants sized at 0.8m²/PE, but they are also the first vertically flowing planted filters with variable saturated bottoms.
