“This means that all our water bodies are contaminated,” reacts a specialist

“This means that all our water bodies are contaminated”, reacted Julie Mendret, teacher-researcher in the Water Sciences and Technologies department of Polytech Montpellier, interviewed Thursday April 4 on franceinfo after the revelations in the newspaper Le Monde and franceinfo. The two media outlets were able to consult a report from the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES), submitted to the government in October 2023.

In this document, ANSES confirms the widespread contamination with bacteria, pesticides, Pfas, of natural mineral water sources exploited by the Nestlé group in France. Experts speak of a “insufficient level of confidence” to ensure “sanitary quality” bottled natural mineral waters from the brands Perrier, Contrex, Vittel, Hépar, etc., owned by the group. “These water resources for producing bottled water which were more or less spared until now are also victims of this contamination”comments Julie Mendret, emphasizing that France is “one of the countries in Europe that consumes the most bottled water, unfortunately”.

Highly controlled tap water

The teacher-researcher points “catastrophic environmental impact” plastic bottles for water “not devoid of certain health problems” as this ANSES report reveals. Julie Mendret believes that there is “no good reason” to refuse to drink tap water. “We usually say that it is the most controlled food. There are more than 70 parameters that are controlled”, she insists. If there is “also problems of contamination of the resource” with tap water, “there is a lot of prevention” And “as soon as there is a problem or health risk, it is mentioned” and the authorities are trying “to remedy it”, she continues. Julie Mendret reminds that users can “easily have access to analyzes of water delivered to the tap, it’s public”.