The water from the network in France

Water is life. We know the quote. But in several cities in France, the network water is an exception to the rule. Long considered the best drink, network water in France now raises growing distrust from a growing number of people. Between scandals and revelations, several French people feel compelled to turn to alternative solutions to meet their drinking water needs. In this article, we delve into the question and take you on a discovery of the secrets that this liquid flowing from your tap hides. Is it really drinkable? Is it wise to drink tap water directly and use it for cooking? Should you look for alternative solutions? Without bias and without beating around the bush, here are some answers. How is Tap Water Treated? It all starts in the 19th century. To serve the populations living in urban areas, drinking water networks began to be established. In just a few years, water networks have significantly developed and almost everywhere, households had access to drinking water. The water treatment process is divided into four essential steps: capturing or extracting from the natural environment, potabilization (filtration, decantation, and disinfection) at the treatment facilities, storage in storage infrastructures, and distribution intended for this purpose. Today, France has 996,000 km of pipelines for water distribution to try to provide the 54 m³ that each inhabitant will need to consume on average each year, or 150 liters per day. That said, wouldn't it be interesting to talk about the system by which tap water is controlled? The Control Mechanism of Network Water in France Let's establish the basics. In France, tap water is subject to very strict health control and monitoring. Regulations indeed impose a permanent control of drinking water, from the stage of its capture in the natural environment to its delivery to the average consumer's tap. To this end, standards have been established, which can be classified into two main categories: - quality limits for certain elements that may pose a long-term health risk to consumers. This includes microbiological parameters and toxic substances such as heavy metals, nitrates, pesticides, etc. - quality references such as color, taste, odor, presence of certain minerals, etc., which assess the quality of treatment and delivery facilities. However, for more than 10 years, thanks to improved analysis methods, instances of non-compliance of water have multiplied in several regions of France. In 2004, the daily consumption of tap water per inhabitant was 165 liters. In 2021, this amount dropped to 150 liters, a decrease of 15 liters per inhabitant per day. Although these figures may seem trivial to some, they reflect a change in behavior whose causes are not very difficult to guess. According to the 25th edition of the annual Kantar barometer for C.I.eau, nearly 85% of French people trust tap water, appreciating its stability for a decade. While this percentage seems satisfactory, it also means that about 15% of French people no longer trust tap water and believe its quality has deteriorated. Thus, about 75% of French people have become "mixed drinkers," combining both tap water and bottled water. Moreover, 48% drink bottled water every day. In short, the French are now wary of tap water. A survey conducted by the General Commission for Sustainable Development states that people over 50 have a more pronounced preference for bottled water. However, the choice of drinking water does not necessarily depend on socio-demographic parameters, but rather on the perception of the quality of tap water. Tap Water in France is Not Always Compliant with Standards Even though quality controls have been strengthened since 2020 thanks to a ministerial instruction, it is better to say it than to hide it, drinking water sometimes harbors bacteria, viruses, and parasites, as well as other compounds like nitrates that make this water unfit for consumption. For illustrative purposes, a report published by the Water Information Center on its website indicates that nearly 6% of French people, or about 3.9 million people, received non-compliant water at least once in 2019. That same year, several thousand people were prohibited from using tap water for consumption because it contained pesticides at levels exceeding the quality limits set by regulations. Moreover, it has been established that water is responsible for 5 to 10% of exposure to pesticides. Worse, the last ten years have been marked by an increase in instances of non-compliance of drinking water for a certain part of the population. For the consumer, such water quality represents a considerable health risk, especially since they are exposed in the short term to poisoning, gastrointestinal disorders, and more serious problems, particularly in vulnerable subjects such as infants or pregnant women. But that's not all. A recent investigation by journalist Martin Boudot has uncovered an environmental and health scandal in the municipality of Pierre-Bénite. Significant quantities of perfluorinated compounds, which are complex chemical components, were found in the water of this municipality, in its soil, and in the air as well. These components are referred to as "eternal pollutants" because they never degrade in the environment and are likely to reduce immune system performance to the point of causing cancers. What Are the Causes of Non-Compliance of Tap Water in Certain Cities? In general, the degradation of the quality of network water can be explained by several factors such as: - lack of maintenance of capture works in the natural environment; - aging infrastructure and a low renewal rate of pipelines; - negligence in disinfection treatments; - contamination of water during storage or transport in the network, particularly due to industrial discharges, mineral fertilizers, pesticides, etc. used in agricultural production that seep into the soil or are carried away by runoff. What Are the Alternatives to Tap Water? Everyone knows that it is important to drink an average of 1.5 liters of water per day to meet the body's hydration needs. But distrust is growing regarding the quality of network water, and according to the General Commission for Sustainable Development, the demand for bottled water has tripled over the last three decades, while more than 20% of water consumption in households relies on a domestic filtration system. Bottled Water: A Popular Alternative in France Tap water is subject to many criticisms. Here, we talk about its unpleasant taste due to its limestone content, its bad odor related to the notable presence of chlorine, etc. In other cases, there is fear of drinking water containing dangerous chemical compounds for the body. Bottled water has therefore taken precedence in many households. In Paris, for example, nearly 65% of low-income households consume bottled water as much as 54% of high-income households. It is therefore not about income level, but rather about the perception of the quality of tap water. The latter is more consumed in rural areas that are less harsh in their judgment and in the southeast of France. On the other hand, it is widely observed that households with children prefer other means of consumption than tap water. Water Filters: The Ecological Solution of the Future for Pure and Healthy Water Today, according to surveys conducted by Ipsos, more than 81% of French people, most of whom are women, people over 35, and Parisians, recognize the advantages of using water filters. Water filtration involves circulating water through a removable device in which impure particles are blocked, allowing pure water to pass through. According to them, water filters allow: - reducing the scaling of tap water; - removing the chlorine taste in tap water; - making tap water healthier; - avoiding the need to store and transport and pollute the environment with plastic water bottles; - having drinking water at a lower cost than bottled water. Even though water filters are not yet widely adopted to make tap water healthier, these water purification systems are known and mostly used by Parisians and retirees. It seems that the lack of widespread adoption or slow adoption of these systems is mainly due to the lack of sufficient points of sale or the unawareness of their existence among populations. However, it is clear that water filters are set to develop over time.