The water remains drinkable, assures the president of the agglomeration to France Bleu La Rochelle, because the detected levels of chlorothalonil do not exceed the threshold at which the molecule is classified as carcinogenic.
The La Rochelle metropolitan area has decided to close drinking water catchments as a precaution and as a preventive measure while removing a pesticide banned in France, reports France Bleu La Rochelle, Wednesday October 18. The presence of chlorothalonil R471811 residues was detected. It is found in particular in tap water, the presence of which was also revealed in April in many catchments in France.
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The year it was banned, in 2020, chlorothalonil was the third most used pesticide in Charente-Maritime. The levels detected this summer in the La Rochelle metropolitan area do not exceed the threshold of three micrograms per liter, above which the molecule is classified as carcinogenic. The water therefore remains drinkable, the president of the agglomeration and mayor of La Rochelle, Jean-François Fountaine, assures France Bleu: “We are aiming for a better quality threshold and we are not in a critical situation, but in complete transparency, we must announce traces of this product.”
The Regional Health Agency indicates that there are no restrictions on the consumption of tap water, including for vulnerable people. “It enjoins the urban area to provide quality tap water, that is to say as close as possible to the quality threshold of 0.1 micrograms per liter”indicates the press release.
“We will have to spend some time before reusing” these drillings
The agglomeration has decided to close sixteen boreholes located in the Aunis plain for several weeks, at least “until December” and to distribute to residents only water from Coulonges and Saint-Hippolyte Eau17. In the Aunis plain, certain boreholes showed levels close to two micrograms per liter during the latest readings. “We will have to spend some time before reusing these drillings”, announced the president of the agglomeration on Wednesday. Because these catchments are located deep, in groundwater, and the fungicide particles take time to descend into the soil. In the coming months, regular analyzes will be carried out to monitor the evolution of the presence of Chlorothalonil R471811 in water, with particular monitoring of the Aunis catchments.
The community also anticipates the future ban on other pesticides and is moving towards an evolution of the agricultural model. “The objective is that we continue this work tomorrow with the agricultural world and that we protect areas protected from pesticides in a more ambitious way”says Guillaume Krabal, vice-president of the La Rochelle urban community, responsible for drinking water.