Maps shows quality of tap water across France

GENERALLY the tap water in France is safe to drink, as it is the public service the most studied, controlled and measured by the French authorities.

Water testing is undertaken by the regional health authorities and looks at the quality of tap water at the level of individual communes.

Details of the water quality are available at your local mairie, the company that supplies your water and usually an annual overview is provided via your water bill.

Tap water quality

But an online map is also available that lets you narrow down your search to an individual commune and the results provide an overall view as well as detailed analysis of the findings.

The map covering water and drinking water quality lets you begin your search by clicking on the region in which you live.

From there you can then click through to your département and then to your commune.

The results page will show you information covering your area such as the date of the most recent test and the authorities who have responsibility for your water and tap water quality.

From there you can see an overall report on the quality of the water in your commune and then a detailed analysis of what has been found in recent analysis.

Consumer watchdog map

Another map is available from the consumer body, UFC-Que Choisir, which again begins with a search down to the individual commune you want information for.

This map is not as detailed but provides a simpler way of seeing the tap water quality of where you live.

The map uses coloured water drops to show the quality of the water in your chosen area and the Légende button on the right of the map shows that a green water drop is good down to a black drop that signals very poor quality.

Nitrates and pesticides

Detailed tests are carried out to detect the presence of nitrates in the water of France, with measurements taken along the chain of water production.

Pesticide use is also measured covering agriculture but also extending into industry use, as well as the use of herbicides on public and private grounds.

A little further down the webpage of the first Ministère de la Santé map you can find reports into nitrates and pesticides over recent years.

The importance of valuing our water resources seems to grow every day and how we need to be aware of how we interact with the natural world.