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Enjeux de l'irrigation
pedagogy
6 March 2025

Irrigation Networks: Working Towards Sustainable and Optimised Management of Agricultural Water

Irrigation plays a central role in agriculture, helping to stabilise yields despite climatic variations. However, it is also one of the biggest consumers of raw water, accounting for almost 50% of consumption in France, and up to 90% in summer. Faced with these challenges, Groupe Claire, with its SL-Irrigation brand, offers innovative solutions for efficient, sustainable management of collective irrigation networks.

The challenges of irrigation in France

Approximately 5% of French farmland is irrigated by agriculture. 80% of water withdrawn by agriculture is used for irrigation (the remainder is used mainly for watering animals and cleaning buildings and equipment). Its aim is to ensure that crops flourish optimally. Each year, these withdrawals, taken mainly from groundwater or surface water, amount to 2.73 billion m³. These figures highlight the importance of optimised irrigation, both to preserve water resources and to satisfy the growing needs of farmers.

During the summer months, the strain on water resources is even greater for all the crops, where special facilities are needed to irrigate vast areas. Consequently, controlled water management becomes essential to avoid wastage and ensure that water is equitably distributed between the various uses (industry, drinking water supply and irrigation).

Irrigation en agriculture

Distributing water to individual plots of land: tailored solutions

To cater for the specific needs of water-intensive crops, irrigation is often carried out on a large scale. SL-Irrigation offers modular, robust solutions to suit every requirement. This range of equipment includes the A4 and B2 irrigation hydrants, which stand out for their versatility and bear the Origine France Garantie label.

  • Modular hydrants: These devices can be used to connect up to four consumers while incorporating metering, pressure regulation and flow limitation functions. They are designed to provide a long service life, even in demanding working conditions.
  • Adaptable to the terrain: Available in frost-resistant versions, these hydrants can be adapted to suit a diverse range of environments, and distribute water equitably and optimally to the different consumers on the same collective network.

With this equipment, network managers can cater for the diverse needs of their consumers, tailored to each plot of land, while keeping track of the volumes consumed.

Borne d'irrigation A4

Measuring and controlling water consumption

Accurate metering of distributed water volumes is an essential component when managing collective irrigation networks. SL-Irrigation supplies meters such as the Irrimag, specially designed for raw water containing high levels of particulate matter. This device ensures that consumption is monitored reliably and boasts optimum durability thanks to the specific characteristics of this type of meter:

  • Built-in pre-filtration: Protects internal components from water laden with particles. It also smooths the flow of water to reduce turbulence.
  • Patented self-cleaning device: prolongs the service life of the meter while maintaining its metrological accuracy.
  • Connectivity: Pre-equipped to accommodate a communications module for remote meter reading.

With these solutions, irrigation can be managed more rigorously and volumes consumed can be invoiced more accurately - a crucial issue for network managers.

Compteur irrimag

Monitoring large-scale networks

With irrigation networks spanning across hundreds of hectares, monitoring can be a complex task. SL-Irrigation addresses this challenge with connected solutions such as the Temetra web platform. This interface centralises the data collected by the meters and offers a number of advantages:

  • Different types of alerts: Notifications of suspected leaks so that swift action can be taken.
  • Simplified invoicing: Data is integrated directly into invoicing systems, thereby reducing errors and delays.
  • Data security: Information is stored on servers that comply with ISO 27001 security standards.

By monitoring the entire network, managers save time and improve the overall performance of their irrigation network.

Supervision Temetra

Sustainable and responsible irrigation

The solutions developed by the Claire Group embrace a sustainable approach. By helping farmers to manage water more effectively, these devices provide reliable metering while addressing environmental issues. Over the last 30 years, irrigation practices have evolved to save up to 30% of the water consumed, through innovations such as those proposed by SL-Irrigation.

Equipment bearing the Origine France Garantie label, such as the A4 and B2 hydrants and the Irrimag meter, attest to local expertise and satisfy the highest standards of quality and durability. These solutions, developed using robust, high-quality materials, are designed to provide long-lasting installations and rational management of resources.

Assisting managers

As well as supplying equipment, the Claire Group provides assistance to network managers at every step in managing their network:

  • Expertise and assistance with diagnostics: as part of its drive to improve networks globally, SL-Irrigation assists managers in analysing their metering equipment and in selecting sustainable, high-performance systems to distribute and meter raw water and cater for the specific needs of irrigators.
  • Simplified maintenance: The equipment is designed to be easy to maintain, to provide optimum performance over the long term.
  • Training and support: The Group offers technical support to help users get the most out of their solutions.
  • Innovation: Always attuned to the market, to deliver innovative solutions and respond to the new challenges faced by managers.
Irrigation agricole

Conclusion

Irrigation is a fundamental pillar of agriculture, but it must adopt a sustainable approach to preserve water resources. Through innovative solutions such as those developed by SL-Irrigation, the growing demands of irrigators can be addressed while limiting the impact on the environment. From distributing raw water to individual plots of land to remotely monitoring networks, these technologies deliver optimum and responsible management of irrigation.

To find out more about the solutions offered by the Claire Group, check out their equipment for irrigation networks