If the quality of tap water is progressing on our territory, its pesticide content is still too high, according to UFC-Que Choisir and Générations Futures.
- More and more French people say they drink tap water on a daily basis (66%) rather than bottled water (47%).
- More than eight out of ten people (81%) say they are satisfied with the water service, and the same proportion say they are confident in the quality of tap water.
UFC-Que Choisir and Générations Futures report on the quality of tap water in France. “If the 4th edition of the tap water interactive map confirms that most French people receive water that complies in all respects with the regulatory criteria, it does however highlight the serious shortcomings of the regulations and local management measures in terms of pesticides and endocrine disruptors”, write the two associations in a press release.
The study by the UFC-Que Choisir of the analyzes of the quality of tap water in all the municipalities of metropolitan France, on the basis of statements from the Regional Health Agencies, shows that its compliance with regulatory criteria is significantly improved: 98% of consumers now have access to water that meets all health criteria, an increase of more than 2 points compared to the previous study in 2017.
“Serious shortcomings in terms of risk management”
Nevertheless, nearly one million consumers, mainly in rural areas, still receive non-compliant water. Agricultural pollution is still the leading cause of contamination: 450,000 consumers drink water that exceeds the maximum pesticide standards and 148,000 drink water contaminated by nitrates. As for bacterial contamination, it now only affects 80,000 consumers, mainly in mountain areas and rural areas in the East.
Finally, other contaminations (arsenic, radioactivity, selenium, etc.) remain more limited and affect lower proportions of consumers. “With regard to pesticides, the first source of pollution, if since 2017, officially things are going better, the study updates serious shortcomings in terms of risk management”, consider UFC-Que Choisir and Générations Futures.
“Ban on pesticides suspected of being endocrine disruptors”
In view of these results, UFC-Que Choisir and Générations Futures are joining forces to demand a ban on pesticides suspected of being endocrine disruptors, as well as “that an urgent reinforcement by the Ministry of Health of the requirements in terms of pesticide analyzes which must imperatively be carried out by the Regional Health Agencies”.
The two associations also call on the French to check the quality of tap water in their town for free (see here), see the level of pesticide research, and sign their petition for the Ministry of Health to increase pesticide research where it is insufficient.
