Saint-Louis and its surrounding area. PFAS contamination: drinking water in four out of eleven municipalities
A Swiss journalist provided this astonishing testimony: he saw an Alsatian motorcyclist with a large container stocking up on drinking water in Basel... "Certainly marginal," said Jean-Marc Deichtmann, president of Saint-Louis Agglomeration (SLA), during the press conference on Tuesday, September 9 with the prefect of Haut-Rhin. But symptomatic of the concerns that the contamination of drinking water by Pfas (eternal pollutants) has raised among the residents of the eleven municipalities affected by the consumption restrictions put in place since April.
Eleven until Tuesday, September 9, the date of the prefectural decree which lifts these restrictions for vulnerable people for four municipalities , Hésingue (outside the Liesbach industrial zone), Bartenheim, Rosenau and Kembs, which therefore return to normal water use. This is because the treatment chosen, that with activated carbon, has proven effective and has made it possible to obtain analyses in accordance with the standards due to come into force in January 2026.
The mobile treatment units (MTUs) are therefore operating for two of the three sites affected by the pollution. That leaves the three Saint-Louis wells, which supply the seven remaining municipalities. Jean-Marc Deichtmann, who praised all the partners who made this progress possible, including the delegate Veolia , predicts normal operation by the end of the year, or even the end of November, if all goes well. After the temporary phase, the definitive phase will come... The three sites will be equipped with permanent treatment plants - the pollution is expected to persist for many years, with these so-called eternal pollutants. "This should be the case by the end of the first half of 2027," announced Jean-Marc Deichtmann. And in the longer term? Studies are underway, both to develop interconnections with SLA's neighbors, and to find new sources of supply.
For current and future water treatment, the funding is more than considerable for a community like SLA. That's between €19 and €20 million, broken down as follows: €6.5 million for the UMTs, €13 to €13.5 million for the permanent units. To this must be added an annual sum of €600,000 in operating costs. The president of the agglomeration says he is relieved by the support already received, which will not, however, cover all expenses. Water price increases are not expected to occur before 2027.
The urban area's water budget is €4 million per year. If the community had to pay the entire €20 million investment, it would be unsustainable, not to mention the €600,000 operating cost. Initial partners have come forward: the State, for €0.5 million, a sum already paid; the Rhine-Meuse Water Agency, for €1.5 million (subject to conditions, particularly related to the cost of water for the consumer); and the Grand Est Region, for a sum to be determined.
But the first contributor should be EuroAirport (EAP), announced Jean-Marc Deichtmann. EuroAirport could contribute up to 50% of the investment, or €10 million, with 80% of the total coming before the end of 2025. Enough to see us through the coming months... The SLA president welcomed "the very open discussions with EAP," whose moral responsibility is real, he affirmed, even though legal liability would be very difficult to determine.
But the price of water, nonetheless, is bound to rise, along with the cost of remediation. How? SLA took over the "water" responsibility in 2020. Since then, it has been up to it to harmonize rates—a regulatory imperative. This is already underway. It will be up to the next team to define how the burden will be shared. What, for example, will happen to residents of municipalities not affected by pollution? Will they have to show solidarity?
All things considered, Jean-Marc Deichtmann mentioned the case of Neuwiller , whose drinking water was affected by chromium 6 pollution. The 500 inhabitants could not have paid the more than €2.5 million to resolve the problem. Community solidarity therefore came into play. For the president of SLA, a concrete case... And an example to follow?
More than 860 requests for reimbursement of bottled water purchases
With people deemed sensitive being encouraged to buy bottled water and avoid drinking tap water, Saint-Louis Agglomeration (SLA) introduced a flat-rate reimbursement of €80 at the end of April. It applies to all people falling into this category (pregnant women, etc.) who request it, after completing a document and attaching supporting documentation. "We have currently received 866 requests," said the president of the community, Jean-Marc Deichtmann, during the press briefing on Tuesday, September 9.
This amount was calculated based on a consumption of two liters of water per person per day between May and December. While water consumption restrictions have been lifted in four municipalities, residents of these localities can still apply and benefit from this lump sum of €80 until the end of the year, announced the president of SLA.
No health monitoring on the agenda
The Regional Directorate for the Environment, Planning and Housing (Dreal) is in contact with EuroAirport (EAP) and industrialists with classified activities. Work is being carried out using piezometers, with lengthy investigations, "in order to characterize the sources of Pfas and their distribution in the area," announced the Prefect of Haut-Rhin, Emmanuel Aubry.
At this stage, it is premature to draw conclusions about sources of contamination other than that of the airport foam. Similarly, work is being carried out at the national level with industrial producers emitting PFAs, with measurement campaigns and industrial processes to limit emissions of eternal pollutants. However, to date, and in accordance with the recommendations of the High Authority for Public Health, no health monitoring of the populations concerned is planned.
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