PFAS in drinking water: after its analyses, Veolia certifies the compliance of almost all its production points in France

After a national analysis campaign on its water production points, Veolia assures this Wednesday, September 4, 2024 that almost all of them comply with the quality thresholds in force.

Veolia has completed its national analysis campaign on the content of eternal pollutants, PFAS, of all the water production points that the company manages in France, and assured Wednesday that almost all of them comply with the quality thresholds in force.

“Veolia can attest to the conformity of drinking water”

At the end of this campaign, which concerned more than 2,400 drinking water sampling points serving more than 20 million inhabitants, “Veolia can attest to the compliance of drinking water with PFAS standards for more than 99% of its sampling points”, the company states in its press release.

These analyses, begun in November, focused on the "20 PFAS regulated in drinking water in France", Veolia explains.

Adverse effect on health

Massively present in everyday life (Teflon pans, food packaging, textiles, automobiles, etc.), these per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances called PFAS owe their nickname to their very long life cycle and, for some, to their harmful effect on the health.

“In cases where quality limits are exceeded, Veolia's role is to support the community in informing its users about the quality of the water distributed, as well as in the action plan to return to normal”, the group indicates in its press release, without revealing which sampling points are concerned.

The detection campaign conducted by Veolia allows the group to anticipate “the obligation of the health authorities”, the company recalls in its communiqué.

Numerous debates around PFAS

From 2026, PFAS will be integrated into regulatory programs for the health control of water intended for human consumption, according to a European directive. But the quality thresholds have been integrated into the French regulatory framework from 2023 in the event of early research set up according to local contexts and detection.

Veolia also assures that it has invested "in an advanced solutions system", with "more than 30 mobile treatment units to provide an adequate response in the event of pollution emerging in the territory".

PFAS have recently been the subject of much debate. After the National Assembly and despite some reservations from the government, the Senate adopted at the end of May an environmental bill to restrict the manufacture and sale of products containing these eternal pollutants, massively present in everyday life.