In Nancy, mineral materials are being used to manage rainwater.
Summary for decision-makers
UNICEM Grand Est is bringing together stakeholders in urban planning on September 15, 2026, at the Grand Est Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Grand Est) in Nancy, to discuss the use of mineral materials in integrated stormwater management. This half-day event, organized in partnership with the Rhine-Meuse Water Agency, aims to analyze integrated management strategies, present projects implemented across the region, identify solutions that balance hydraulic performance, quality of infrastructure, and sustainability, and document the performance of natural and recycled materials.
Minerals have a reputation for creating impermeable surfaces, a claim the industry has publicly disputed for years. UNICEM Grand Est is making this the subject of a half-day technical workshop organized in Nancy with the Rhine-Meuse Water Agency, where elected officials, developers, and engineering firms will come together to compare this reputation with projects already completed in the region.
A half-day technical session on September 15th in Nancy
The meeting, entitled "Integrated Stormwater Management: Uses of Mineral Materials in Landscaping," is being held at the Grand Est Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Grand Est) in Nancy. It is organized by the industry federation for the Grand Est region, in partnership with the Rhine-Meuse Water Agency. The format is an afternoon of discussions, rather than a conference.
| Benchmark | Advertised value |
|---|---|
| Date | September 15, 2026 |
| Location | Grand Est Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nancy |
| Format | Half-day, afternoon of discussions |
| Organizer | UNICEM Grand Est |
| Partner | Rhine-Meuse Water Agency |
The mineral, facing a reputation for waterproofing
The initial argument is a case of impermeability. The industry believes that the systematic assimilation between mineral materials, concrete and impermeable soils is a misconception, and that mineral developments, on the contrary, promote water infiltration, slow down runoff and contribute to the recharge of soils and groundwater.
The debate is not new for the organization, which has already publicly called for the abandonment of vocabulary it considers misleading. It arises here within a context that the press release describes frankly: increased intensity of extreme rainfall, more frequent droughts, strain on water resources, and soil sealing. Faced with these pressures, local authorities have a range of tools at their disposal—reducing the impermeability of public spaces, infiltration at the source, limiting runoff, replenishing groundwater, and mitigating urban heat islands.
Four objectives announced in the program
UNICEM Grand Est has set four objectives for this half-day session: to decipher integrated stormwater management strategies; to discover exemplary projects implemented in the region; to identify technical solutions that reconcile hydraulic performance, quality of infrastructure, and sustainability; and to gain a better understanding of the performance of mineral, natural, and recycled materials in stormwater management systems.
The fourth formulation is the most significant for a project owner: it places recycled materials on the same level as natural materials. The organization had already compiled its work on the resource in a collection dedicated to sustainable water management.
Lessons learned rather than principles
The program brings together representatives from the Rhine-Meuse Water Agency, local authorities, engineering firms, and specialized companies. Presentations focus on concrete projects related to de-sealing, permeable soils, and landscaping that promotes rainwater infiltration. Innovations developed by construction materials manufacturers are also on the agenda.
Laurent Bihry, elected regional president , frames the initiative in terms of dissemination. "We want to show that solutions already exist and promote their dissemination among elected officials, planners, and all stakeholders in the region ," he states. This wording makes it clear what the meeting is not: neither a launch nor a technical announcement.
Elected officials, technical services and project management teams targeted
The target audience covers the decision-making chain of an urban development project. Municipal and inter-municipal elected officials, technical services of local authorities, development agencies, design offices and territorial engineering offices, architects and planners are specifically mentioned, as well as all professionals involved in the design and implementation of urban development projects.
The press release does not specify registration details, exact times, or the list of speakers. This information can be obtained from UNICEM Grand Est.
Frequently Asked Questions about the UNICEM Grand Est Meeting
When and where is this meeting taking place?
On September 15, 2026, at the Grand Est Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Grand Est) in Nancy, a half-day workshop will be held, organized by UNICEM Grand Est in partnership with the Rhine-Meuse Water Agency. The press release does not specify the schedule or registration details.
What is integrated stormwater management?
An approach that treats rainwater on site instead of draining it away through the sewer system. It involves removing impermeable surfaces from public spaces, infiltration at the source, limiting runoff, replenishing groundwater, and reducing urban heat islands.
Do mineral materials necessarily make soils impermeable?
This is precisely the misconception that the meeting aims to dispel. UNICEM maintains that mineral structures can promote water infiltration, slow down runoff and contribute to the replenishment of soils and groundwater, and that the association between minerals, concrete and waterproofing is unfounded.
What can we expect from the program?
Feedback from experience rather than theoretical presentations. Representatives from the Rhine-Meuse Water Agency, local authorities, design offices and specialized companies will present projects for de-sealing, permeable soils and developments promoting infiltration, as well as industrial innovations.
What criteria must the presented solutions reconcile?
Three criteria, according to the organizer: the hydraulic performance of the structure, the quality of the finished product, and its durability. The half-day session will also document the comparative performance of natural mineral materials and recycled materials in stormwater management systems.
Who is this half-day session intended for?
To municipal and inter-municipal elected officials, to the technical services of local authorities, to development agencies, to territorial design and engineering offices, to architects and planners, as well as to all professionals involved in the design and implementation of urban development projects.
Glossary of stormwater management principles
Integrated stormwater management
A set of techniques that treat rainwater as close as possible to where it falls, through infiltration, storage or evaporation, rather than collection and disposal into a sanitation network.
Waterproofing
Replacing a waterproof surface with a coating or flooring that allows water to pass through. This mainly concerns existing public spaces, courtyards, car parks and roads.
Infiltration at the source
The principle of allowing rainwater to penetrate the ground at the point where it falls, without passing through a network. This reduces the volume of water sent downstream.
runoff
Runoff of rainwater across the surface of the ground when it is not absorbed. It concentrates the flow downstream and is the primary cause of flooding in urban areas.
Urban heat island
Temperature difference observed between an urbanized area and its rural environment, maintained by impermeable mineral surfaces that store heat and by the absence of evaporation.
Recharging the water tables
Replenishment of groundwater reserves by water that passes through the soil. It depends directly on the proportion of precipitation that infiltrates rather than runs off.
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