ENVIRONMENT / While the findings are rather positive for the Southern Alps, poor quality of groundwater is noted in the Valensole plateau sector
– Southern Alps –
62% of watercourses in the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region are in good ecological condition, 87% of groundwater is in good chemical condition according to the Water Agency. Last Tuesday, it unveiled its report on the state of water in 2024. 6.5 million annual data were collected in rivers, groundwater and lakes in the Rhône-Mediterranean and Corsica basins. In total, 1,400 chemical but also biological parameters are measured in the water.
The water is “good to very good quality” in the mountainous part of the PACA region
This is particularly the case in the Hautes-Alpes and the Alpes de Haute-Provence explains Annick Mièvre, Director of the PACA Corsica delegation at the Rhône Méditerranée-Corse water agency, “we have ¾ of the watercourses which are in good condition in these departments. We are in rather rural departments, not very urbanized and they are therefore less modified than in more coastal departments.”
Poor quality of groundwater in the Valensole plateau sector
« Owe find historical pollution linked to the cultivation of lavandin with pesticides which have no longer been authorized for years » explains Annick Mièvre. Other special cases near the urban areas of the Southern Alps specifies Annick Mièvre.
An overall improvement in water quality over the past decade
Improvement of treatments in wastewater treatment plants, but also evolution of agriculture “ have borne fruit.” However, the better the detection ability “ reveals new pollutants » linked in particular to pharmaceutical, medicinal or even cosmetic products. Substances released mainly in human excreta and which are only partially treated by wastewater treatment plants.
Aurore Vallauri’s report:
Belgium
