France faces €5.7bn bill to tackle 'forever chemicals'

France faces an annual bill of €1.3-€5.7billion to upgrade water-treatment plants to reduce PFAS and pesticide residues in tap water, according to a government report.

PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals that are often described as ‘forever chemicals’ and do not degrade over time.

Anses, the government agency responsible for food, environmental and occupational health and safety, has linked exposure to certain PFAS with increased cholesterol, certain cancers, fertility issues, and liver and kidney problems.

A 2024 study found around a third of people in France could be exposed to PFAS above recommended EU limits via tap water.

Tests on individual water sources are mapped at the ecology ministry’s site.

Analysis has identified several PFAS contamination hotspots, notably around Lyon and more recently in the Ardennes, Meuse and Vosges departments.

After the 2024 report, an action plan was launched to improve PFAS research and testing, identify priority chemicals, reduce public risks, develop solutions, and strengthen public communication.

The new report examines the cost of testing oversight and risk reduction.

Four scenarios

The least expensive scenario, costing €1.3billion, would treat the most contaminated water sources, usually by dilution with clean water, as is already done in some cases for pesticide residues and high nitrate levels.

This option would still leave 28% of the population supplied with water containing PFAS above the relevant threshold, albeit at lower levels.

It would also not treat the most frequently detected PFAS, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), which is particularly difficult to filter out of water systems.

The other scenarios assessed are progressively more expensive, each projected to achieve lower concentrations of TFA.

The report does not say how the money would be found, especially in a context of chronic underinvestment in maintaining existing water infrastructure, estimated by Cercle français de l’eau at €4.6bn annually.

Of the four scenarios modelled, only two would keep the average water price increase under 35% – the ceiling the SGPE (the government’s ecological planning body) considers the maximum the public would tolerate.

The other two would need steeper rises, carrying risk of public pushback. The report stresses that any rise should come with support for vulnerable households.

The government is also under pressure from France’s high public debt: first-half 2026 figures show debt-servicing costs jumped 18%, despite the budget prioritising its reduction.

Water in France is distributed mainly by large private companies such as Veolia, Suez and Saur, which generally have multi-year contracts.

Smaller firms, such as Agur, have recently won contracts from bigger rivals.

Almost all water is metered, but providers do not generally publish commercial information. Eau du Robinet, a website collating available data, found the average price in 2023-24 was €4.69/m³.

How to check your supply

Every commune’s tap water is tested regularly by the regional health agency (ARS), and the results are public. To check your own supply, search ‘qualité eau [your commune]’ or visit the health ministry’s water portal.

You can also check the annual summary sheet (infofacture) that your water supplier is required to send each year, often with your water bill, which covers water quality.

If a commune’s water fails to meet standards, the supplier is legally obliged to inform residents directly and take corrective action, so an ‘in compliance’ result is a good indication that your tap water is safe to drink.

Well water

The late arrival of piped water in many communes means some properties still have wells in reasonable condition that were once the main source of water.

Well water is subject to the same hosepipe restrictions as tap water, but some people like the idea of drinking their own water and might want it tested for PFAS and other pollutants before doing so.

If you use well water as your main water supply, you must fit a meter and pay an annual fee of around €0.15/m³ as a contribution to the communal water system, and around €0.34/m³ for wastewater treatment.

DIY shops, such as Leroy Merlin, sell water testing kits for €20 to €30 that are able to detect heavy metals and nitrates, but not pesticides or PFAS.

Anses and the Office français de la biodiversité (OFB) set up a joint platform in 2024 listing laboratories approved to analyse water. They should be able to test well water samples for safety and, if requested, for PFAS.

The platform can be found here.

Results often point to the main government laboratory for the department, but they should offer analysis of individual samples for a fee – probably around €250 for a full test.

There are also a few private labs without Anses certification.

Inovalys, for example, allows customers to order a test online, take a sample and send it back, for €99.60. It excludes pesticide and PFAS testing but covers basic pollution and bacteriological checks.

Local medical laboratories might also do water sampling, depending on how busy they are.

They will want you to use sterile collection bottles they provide.

Renovating a well is usually possible, at a price, if you can find one of the dwindling number of tradespeople who have knowledge of the specialist work.