How clean is the water that flows from our kitchen taps? A new interactive map answers this question for the first time and reveals surprising differences between the regions of France. <\/p>\n\n
The environmental organization G\u00e9n\u00e9rations Futures and the Data for Good network have collected and processed official measurement data on pollutants in drinking water and made it available online<\/strong>. Citizens can now check for any address whether and to what extent the tap water supplied there is contaminated. <\/p>\n\n From pesticides to PFAS: invisible dangers in glass<\/strong><\/p>\n\n The analysis included data on a large number of substances that are regularly detected in drinking water: Pesticides and their degradation products, so-called “eternal pollutants”, nitrates, perchlorate and vinyl chloride monomer. Many of these substances are suspected of being harmful to health in the long term and yet most people hardly know what is actually in their water. <\/p>\n\n Although the French authorities are obliged to regularly inform the public about water quality, access to this information often remains difficult. The new map closes this information gap and shows where the legal limits have been exceeded over the past five years. <\/p>\n\n Transparency instead of silence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n In the summer, the European Commission called on France to finally make the “mandatory information” on drinking water quality accessible. As the government has not yet responded, the two organizations took the initiative. The result is a freely accessible, data-based map that not only provides information but is also intended to raise awareness. <\/p>\n\n The map distinguishes between quality limits<\/strong> (which can indicate a potential hazard if exceeded) and health limits<\/strong>, which represent an actual risk in the event of chronic pollution. Municipalities whose water does not meet the quality standards may only distribute it for a limited period of time, up to a maximum of six years, including a possible extension. <\/p>\n\n