Sandra Wiedemann with her six-month-old son Côme at their home in Buschwiller. She says it is frightening that PFAS have polluted the local water supply, especially as her infant is considered among the vulnerable (Image: Stefan Pangritz)
Tens of thousands of people in eastern France have been told their tap water is unsafe to drink due to contamination by forever chemicals – a development that may foreshadow similar restrictions across Europe.
Sandra Wiedemann was watching television on a quiet Saturday evening when she learned that the tap water in her home might be endangering her health. The 36-year-old, who lives in the commune of Buschwiller near the Swiss border and is breastfeeding her six-month-old son, Côme, was alarmed by the news. “Even if we stop drinking it, we’ll still be exposed,” she said. “And we can’t really do anything.”
Three days later, a letter from the local authority arrived at her home and about 60,000 others across 11 communes, warning that drinking water was now prohibited for young children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and people with weakened immune systems. Panic soon followed, as supermarkets saw a surge in bottled water sales.
The rural commune of Saint-Louis, near the Swiss and German borders, is the site of France’s largest recorded ban on drinking tap water (Image: Stefan Pangritz)
This marked France’s largest-ever drinking water ban due to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas), a class of persistent pollutants linked to cancer, immune dysfunction and fertility issues. Tests revealed that local Pfas levels were four times above the recommended limit.
According to local and regional officials, the source of contamination was firefighting foam used at the nearby Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg airport from the 1960s until 2017. Residues have since filtered through the soil into the groundwater. Despite the foam’s discontinued use, its effects remain – highlighting the long-term risks posed by these chemicals, which do not degrade naturally.
Saint-Louis may be the first of many. From Jan 2026, the EU will enforce stricter limits on Pfas in drinking water. More than 2,300 locations across Europe already exceed these thresholds. “We are only at the beginning,” said Séverine Maistre, a former clinical trials professional based in Saint-Louis. “These chemicals will be everywhere – not just in France, but also Germany, Switzerland and the UK.”
Residents are now facing the real-world implications of this pollution. “Even those of us who are not considered vulnerable are frightened,” said a 70-year-old woman. “It’s about water – without it, we can’t live.”
Clement Luake, who has worked at the Leclerc supermarket for three decades, said he had never seen demand for bottled water at this scale. “It’s been overwhelming,” he said. Weekly pallet deliveries have almost doubled, with four lorries arriving each week to replenish stock.
Around 3,000 people in the region have been classified as vulnerable and are eligible for a one-time payment of €80 to offset bottled water costs. But residents like Wiedemann argue that the risk extends far beyond these groups. Since moving to the area in 2020, she has had two miscarriages and was later diagnosed with endometriosis. “I don’t know if there’s a connection, but I can’t ignore the timing,” she said.
Pfas are found in everyday products, from cookware to electronics and textiles. Their ability to resist heat and water has made them widespread – and nearly impossible to remove. Today, they are present in the bloodstream of nearly all humans globally.
While no official testing programme exists for affected residents, a local group, the Association de Défense des Riverains de l’Aéroport de Bâle Mulhouse (Adra), conducted its own analysis. Blood samples from 10 members revealed an average of 14.9 micrograms per litre – more than double the European Food Safety Authority’s threshold of concern, which is 6.9 micrograms per litre. “The state is supposed to protect us,” said Adra president Bruno Wollenschneider. “We should have been informed earlier.”
Plans are under way to install new treatment systems, estimated at €20m, with an additional €600,000 in annual operating costs. Local authorities say water bills are likely to rise from 2026 to fund the improvements.
Beyond human health, PFAS contamination affects ecosystems. Studies have found evidence of harm across the globe: from unhealed lesions in North Carolina alligators to reduced sea turtle hatchlings in the Pacific and declining bird reproduction in the US. Even remote Arctic species have shown thyroid issues linked to PFAS.
At the centre of this case is the Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg airport, situated just 2km from the affected communes. Firefighting foams containing PFAS were widely used there due to their effectiveness against kerosene fires. Although certified at the time, their environmental impact has become clear.
Wollenschneider, who lives near the airport, believes it should pay for the clean-up. “Water is a public good,” he said. “The airport must take responsibility.” He is calling for legislation that would compel polluters to bear the financial burden. “This could set a precedent,” he added. “It’s the first known case in France of an airport causing this type of pollution – but it’s unlikely to be the last.”
The situation has also revealed a gap in accountability. Although government agencies had recorded high Pfas levels in 2017, no public warnings were issued. Thierry Litzler, vice-president of the Saint-Louis urban area and responsible for water, said he only became aware of the data in Oct 2023. “We acted quickly once informed,” he said. When asked why earlier warnings were not communicated, he added: “It’s not my place to judge decisions made eight years ago.”
He now believes future responses will be faster due to clearer procedures. “We were pioneers,” said Litzler. “Back then, there were no instructions for how to respond.”
While no legal action has been taken against the airport, its spokesperson Manuela Witzig confirmed that the company is cooperating with authorities and intends to contribute financially to the clean-up, though details remain unclear.
Residents began stockpiling bottled water as news of PFAS contamination spread (Image: Stefan Pangritz)
Saint-Louis is likely only the start of a much broader European reckoning with water contamination. Over 23,000 sites across Europe are believed to be polluted with PFAS, according to the Forever Pollution Map created by CNRS. Of these, 2,300 exceed future EU limits and are considered hazardous. In France, 34 communes are affected, while in Italy’s Veneto region, 350,000 people were exposed through a chemical plant. In Belgium, half of residents near a 3M factory have elevated levels in their blood.
As the EU prepares to impose binding limits, campaigners across France are calling for full transparency, health protections and for polluters to be held accountable. “We’re not alone in this,” said Wollenschneider. “And we will not stop demanding justice.”
Source: theguardian
