France makes polluters pay for ‘forever chemicals’

France is introducing a new charge on industrial pollution from PFAS, the chemicals often known as 'forever chemicals'.

The measure took effect from September 1 and is intended to ensure that companies responsible for polluting water contribute towards the cost of dealing with it.

PFAS are a large family of chemicals used because they are highly resistant to heat, water, oil and stains. Many can remain in the environment for long periods.

How much will polluting companies pay?

Certain industrial sites that release PFAS into water will have to pay the charge, whether the pollution goes directly into waterways or via a wastewater system. 

Companies will pay €100 for every 100 grams of PFAS discharged, once their annual discharge exceeds 100 grams. The rate is also indexed to inflation.

The system is designed both to raise money and encourage companies to reduce their emissions.

Companies that install appropriate treatment for their PFAS-containing wastewater can benefit from an 80% reduction in the charge.

Most of the PFAS covered affect technologies using activated carbon, ion-exchange resins and reverse osmosis.

There is an exception: trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), one of the PFAS most frequently found in water, does not qualify for the reduction because there is currently no sufficiently reliable treatment process on which to base it.

France has set a target of reducing industrial PFAS emissions by 70% by 2027 and 100% by 2030.

Campaigners say the levy is too small

Environmental groups have welcomed the goal behind the measure but say that it will do little to cover the actual cost of cleaning contaminated water.

One group, Générations Futures, has criticised both the limited number of PFAS covered and the fact that the levy focuses on industrial discharges into water rather than PFAS emissions into the air.

It also pointed to the delay between the adoption of the law in February 2025 and the implementation of the new charge.

Pauline Cervan, a toxicologist at Générations Futures, said to Franceinfo that companies had time to reduce their emissions before the law came into effect. This means that some companies will have contributed to water pollution a lot more than they will end up paying to clean it up due to the late implementation of the law. 

The government has acknowledged that the revenue collected in this way will be limited compared with the wider cost of dealing with water pollution.

As reported by The Connexion last week, a government inspection report published in July estimated that France could face €1.3 - €5.7 billion in additional annual costs to deal with PFAS and pesticide contamination in drinking water.

How to check your tap water

The quality of drinking-water is tested regularly under the supervision of the regional health agency (ARS), and results are publicly available.

You can search online for “qualité eau” plus the name of your commune, or check the government's information website.

Your water supplier should also provide an annual water-quality summary, often with your water bill.

What if you use a private well?

Private well water is not automatically safe to drink simply because it looks or tastes normal.

Groundwater can contain bacteria, nitrates, pesticides, heavy metals or PFAS without any obvious sign.

DIY testing kits costing around €20-€30 can check some basic parameters, but they do not normally test for PFAS or pesticides.

If you rely on a well for drinking water, consider having a sample professionally analysed, especially if there are industrial or agricultural pollution sources nearby.

France's health and biodiversity authorities ANSES and OFB maintain a list of laboratories able to analyse water samples. You can contact a laboratory focused on PFA testing if that is what you want checked.