PFAS contamination forces 2,600 French villagers to rely on bottled water

More than a year after PFAS were discovered in the groundwater of a dozen villages in the Ardennes and Meuse departments, about 2,600 residents remain barred from drinking tap water. In seven Ardennes communes, activated‑carbon filters installed in April 2025 restored water quality, but in the remaining villages the contamination is too severe for filtration. Local authorities plan to connect these areas to an alternate network located about 15 km away, with works not expected to finish until late 2027 or early 2028 and at a high cost.

While the ban persists, households must buy and store bottled water, often using several 5‑liter containers for a family of six, and some report rising water bills despite not receiving potable water. Municipalities continue to supply two litres per person per day free of charge and cover the cost of water analyses. Health concerns are growing: residents have paid for blood tests that show PFAS levels six to fifteen times higher than reference limits, and several have reported cancers and kidney problems.

Six communes, a community‑of‑communes and a water syndicate have filed a lawsuit against an unidentified polluter, accusing "endangering others". Around 400 individuals plan similar legal actions. Authorities suspect the pollution stems from the spreading of sludge from the Stenay paper mill, which closed in 2024, contaminating both water sources and agricultural land, forcing some farmers to abandon their crops without compensation.