On the occasion of the International Expo on “Water and Sustainable Development” held in Saragossa in 2008, the Pyrénées Atlantiques General Council suggested a competition based on the theme of water to colleges in the Departement. A class from Henri Barbusse College in Boucau participated and chose “water and the industries of the Adour Estuary” as its subject.
It was in this context that the CCI of Bayonne, the Basque Country (along with ADA and LBC) welcomed pupils from Class 5A to the Port.
Having explained the activities of the CCI in the Port to the pupils and the way in which a boat is loaded and unloaded, the presentation centred on water in order to reply to the following questions:
- What is the water used for and how much is used by companies operating in the estuary?
- What products are discharged into the River Adour by the companies, and in what quantities?
- What are the problems encountered by the companies and what do they do to conserve water resources?
- What are the consequences for living organisms in the estuary?
Consumption of water by the CCI is relatively low; the main use is for cleaning equipment and the quaysides. Fresh water is also supplied to ships for use by the crew.
The main source of impact on water comes from powdery or dusty residues that fall onto the quays and into the Adour. This is why the hardstanding areas are equipped with sedimentation traps linked to hydrocarbon separators, which allow the water to be treated before being discharged into the River Adour.
However water and the impact of the port’s activity is a constant issue and this has led to several actions being undertaken and others being scheduled for equipment in order to reduce this loss of product during handling and a study of the potential impact of unloading was carried out in 2007.