New drinking water analysis programmes
From 1 January 2026, the terms of sanitary control of water are changing. The publication…
Read more
What is wastewater?
Wastewater, or used water, is water that has been used in human, domestic or industrial activities. It is loaded with pollutants and must be treated before being discharged into the natural environment in order to preserve ecosystems.
- Origin: There are mainly domestic wastewater (from housing), industrial wastewater (specific to each production activity) and urban runoff.
- The challenge: It contains organic, chemical or biological substances which, without adequate treatment, can suffocate waterways or contaminate groundwater.
This type of water is subject to strict discharge regulations, aimed at achieving the “good water status” set by environmental authorities.
For effective management, three types of flows are generally analysed:
- Industrial discharges: Monitoring of metals, solvents and specific pollutants.
- Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outlets: Verification of treatment efficiency.
- Dredging sludge: Analysis for agricultural recovery or disposal purposes.
Manage environmental risk
Controlling discharges is essential to limit the ecological footprint of human activities.
To ensure compliance with prefectural orders and discharge limits, we support you in monitoring your effluents. Our expertise enables you to measure the impact of your activity, optimise your treatment processes and ensure full transparency with water agencies and environmental authorities.
Regulations
WWTP
For water discharged from wastewater treatment plants, two orders set the sampling and analysis procedures as well as the minimum performance to be met:
- Order of 21 July 2015, as amended, on collective sanitation systems and non-collective sanitation installations receiving a gross organic pollution load greater than 1.2 kg/day of BOD5
- Order of 21 July 2015 on collective sanitation systems and non-collective sanitation installations, except for non-collective sanitation installations receiving a gross organic pollution load equal to or less than 1.2 kg/day of BOD5
ICPE
Aqueous discharges from ICPEs are governed by a set of hierarchical texts. The order of 2 February 1998 constitutes the cross-cutting framework applicable to many ICPEs subject to authorisation, but it does not apply where specific requirements exist for certain categories of installations. For some ICPEs, ministerial orders setting general requirements apply. These orders define, in particular, the parameters to be monitored, the analysis frequency and the control procedures.
In addition, according to the Order of 20 June 2023 on the analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in aqueous discharges from classified installations for environmental protection subject to the authorisation regime, a list of PFAS must be sought in discharge water.
Innovation & Methods
Our expertise
We offer analyses designed to check the regulatory compliance of your foodstuffs.
Global parameters
COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), BOD5 (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), SS (Suspended Solids).
Inorganic pollutants
Total nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, nickel).
Micropollutants
Hydrocarbons, PAHs, PCBs, volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Emerging pollutants
Veterinary drug residues, endocrine disruptors and PFAS in effluents.
Regulations
Our regulatory team supports you in assessing the compliance of your products, providing daily monitoring of applicable regulations and directives, draft texts and standards.
Our experts Céline and Aurélie are here to help.
-
Audit
Carry out an auditA comprehensive quality audit to assess your production practices and ensure product compliance. Our experts will provide tailored recommendations to optimise your processes and reduce risks.
-
Traceability
Discover our toolWe help you implement effective traceability systems to ensure transparency throughout the cereal production chain. You can track each batch from cultivation to final use.
Logistics
Our nationwide coverage, combined with a fleet of tri-temperature vehicles compliant with NF X15-140, ensures controlled cold chain management and optimal transport conditions for samples.
Phytocontrol’s sampling technicians are all qualified to carry out physico-chemical and microbiological sampling in accordance with the following standards:
- FD T90-520: sampling technique for the sanitary monitoring of water intended for human consumption.
- FD T90-521: sampling technique for the sanitary monitoring of swimming pool and bathing water.
- FD T90-522: sampling technique for the detection of Legionella in water.
Each sample benefits from real-time traceability, from collection or sampling through to analysis.
Optimising our routes helps reduce our environmental impact while ensuring a responsive, high-performance service.
Testimonial
A challenge to meet?
We have the solution!
Whether you manage a network, run an industrial facility or operate a farm, we help you ensure the sustainability and compliance of your resource.
As an industrial operator, we have a strong responsibility for our discharges into rivers. The accuracy of Phytocontrol’s micropollutant analyses allows us to validate the performance of our in-house wastewater treatment plant. This gives us the assurance of always complying with our prefectural order and protecting local biodiversity.
+1,000 satisfied customers
Research and expertise
A research centre at your service
We drive your projects forward with tailor-made solutions and close support. Technical expertise, full traceability and rigorous compliance: we turn your constraints into performance drivers.
Our experts are committed to supporting you in order to:
- Secure your production with high-precision analyses.
- Control your traceability, from raw material to finished product.
- Anticipate regulatory changes to ensure your compliance.
ACCREDITATIONS
Our accreditations
Phytocontrol is accredited by COFRAC and holds specific approvals from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Environment for water sampling and analysis.
support
Choose your subscription
to move forward with peace of mind
We support you from order placement through to results delivery.
We offer 3 levels of support:
Featured
Our latest news
Everything you need to know, at the right time, for your activity.
Publication of Decree No. 2025-1287 on the addition of PFAS to be monitored in drinking water
Decree No. 2025-1287 of 22 December 2025 on the sanitary safety of water intended for…
Read more
National monitoring campaign for pesticides in drinking water – EAT3 study
A new national monitoring campaign to measure the occurrence of emerging compounds in water intended…
Read more