Imagine swimming in pleasantly warm water, without knowing that it's being heated... by the wastewater flowing beneath your feet! That's exactly what's happening at the Aspirant-Dunand swimming pool on rue Saillard, a stone's throw from Place Denfert-Rochereau in the 14th arrondissement of Paris.
Since 2016, this municipal swimming pool has benefited from an innovative technology: heat recovery from sewage to heat the pool and showers. The principle is as ingenious as it isecological. Wastewater from Parisian households - still warm after passing through showers, sinks or washing machines - maintains a relatively stable temperature throughout the year, fluctuating between 13 and 20°C.
This heat is captured by heat exchangers installed directly on the pipes. A heat pump system then transfers it to the pool water circuit, raising the pool temperature to 26°C and the shower temperature to around 35°C.
This ingenious device halves the energy consumption needed to heat the building. The result: a 30% drop in CO₂ emissions, i.e. around 46 tonnes of carbon dioxide less each year. A great step forward for the climate... and for the City of Paris' energy bill!
Like the Butte-aux-Cailles swimming pool, heated by a nearby data center, this system is in line with the City of Paris' Climate Energy Plan, which aims to increase the share of renewable or recovered energy in public buildings. Through pilot projects such as the Aspirant-Dunand swimming pool, the capital aims to transform its infrastructures into models of sustainability.
As Jean-François Martins, then deputy mayor in charge of sport, so aptly summed it up: "We recover the heat, not the water! Today, this swimming pool is a discreet but powerful symbol of Paris's energy transition. And for bathers? It's a perfectly normal experience, but in water that's a little greener... in the ecological sense of the word!
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Dates and Opening Time
Next days
Wednesday:
from 07:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.
Thursday:
from 07:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.
Friday:
from 07:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday:
from 07:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.
Sunday:
from 08:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.
Monday:
from 11:30 a.m. to 01:45 p.m.
Tuesday:
from 07:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.
Location
Aspirant Dunand swimming pool
20 Rue Saillard
75014 Paris 14
The most beautiful and historic swimming pools in Paris, officially listed as Historical Monuments
