Tap water consumption prohibited for fragile people in 11 municipalities in Haut-Rhin

In these municipalities close to Basel-Mulhouse airport, water is contaminated by an anti-fire foam which contains eternal pollutants.

The decree taken by the prefecture of Haut-Rhin on April 25 prohibiting the consumption of tap water for sensitive people comes into force Monday May 5 in 11 municipalities of the agglomeration of Saint-Louis, near Basel. In question, PFAS detected at the end of 2023, these eternal pollutants with potentially harmful effects on health, whose rate in drinking water regularly exceeds the regulatory limit in the sector. The municipalities close to Basel-Mulhouse airport are concerned, due to pollution linked to the use passed by the firefighters of anti-fired foam containing eternal pollutants. The population concerned by the ban, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children under the age of two and immunocompromised people, is estimated at around 3,000 inhabitants-or 5% of the Saint-Louis agglomeration.

This restriction on tap water consumption will be in effect at least until December 31, the time to carry out the depollution work estimated at 20 million euros, reports “here Alsace”. “The prefecture now requires in the short term to set up mobile filtration units and at the Middle Long Term will be built three filtration factories”said to France Culture Bruno Wollenschneider, president of the association for the defense of residents of Basel-Mulhouse Airport (ADRA).

“The budget of the agglomeration devoted to water is 4 million eurostold “here Alsace” Jean-Marc Deichtmann, the president of the agglomeration of Saint-Louis. “We absolutely have to be helped”he added. “There is already a co -financier that has been announced, EuroAirport, but we do not yet know the amount of funding. We also work with the prefect and the water agency, which would be ready to support us, the conditions remain to be defined”he detailed. “It is at Basel-Mulhouse airport to pay” According to the “polluter-pay rule”, said the president of the Adra. “Saint-Louis Agglomeration has announced that, inevitably, the price of water will increase, but there is no question for the consumer and for the airport residents to take care of the additional costs due to water filtration”he said.