Separating the ocher from the sand requires a washing step followed by a settling phase. The washing process is now mechanized and takes place in a closed circuit thanks to a separator by centrifugal force that dissociates the sand from the water. The ocher-laden water is then sent to settling ponds (photo) where the ocher is deposited and dries after the evacuation of water. The desiccation phase lasts from May to September under the combined effect of the sun and the mistral.