The "60 million consumers" association reveals that More than 400 municipalities are in troubled waters, drinking water can be drinkable by dispensation
The survey of 60 million consumers and France Libertés, launched last July, led associations to put their finger on the extent of the exemptions granted in France compared to the physico-chemical thresholds normally authorized. And the reality could still exceed these first results ...
Transparency on the quality of drinking water appears to be an endless quest. France Libertés associations and 60 million consumers have just made their contribution, by publishing, on January 17, a map of exemptions from which more than 400 municipalities benefit.
That is to say as many permits to pollute since these communities indeed exceed the thresholds for nitrates, arsenic, atrazine, glyphosate and other pollutants. And deliver non-compliant water to consumers.
This publication was produced from data transmitted by the Directorate General of Health. The associations have requested verification from the regional health agencies (ARS) (1). The result is impressive: more than a thousand exemptions, spread over 419 municipalities, were listed in the fall of 2012. They are granted by the prefects for three years, and can be renewed twice, specifies the press release from France Libertés.
As often, the reality could exceed these figures. Brittany and Oise have therefore no listed exceptions. This is also the case for around fifty departments in all. On the contrary, Seine-et-Marne alone concentrates almost a third of the measures. Behind it, the Val d'Oise and the Orne have between 5 and 30 exemptions.
It must be said that the derogation procedure is quite flexible. As soon as a physico-chemical threshold is exceeded locally, the water distribution manager immediately informs the managers of the Regional Health Agency (ARS) as well as the mayors of the municipalities concerned. It is also he who makes the request for exemption from the prefect. Three conditions, fixed by a decree of November 25, 2003 (2), only specify that the health of people must not be in danger, that there are no other alternatives to distribute water and that a plan action must be taken to restore the situation "in the medium term".
It was on July 3 that France Libertés and 60 million consumers decided to launch a transparency operation on the quality of drinking water (see JDLE). The associations deplored the intense opacity surrounding French data on quality. some water.
One example among others: a municipality released water for 35 days with levels of bentazone (the molecule of a pesticide) three times higher than the acceptable daily dose, due to an exemption. The consumer was not warned. On the contrary, he thought he was drinking water that complies with regulations.
Today, France Libertés and 60 million consumers are making their way towards more transparency. They invite all individuals to question their elected representatives to specify, everywhere in France, the real state of the exemptions.
Source: http://naturealerte.blogspot.fr/2013/01 ... lions.html
List of municipalities: http://www.france-libertes.org/IMG/pdf/ ... france.pdf