2d ago

‘Even if we stop drinking we will be exposed’: A French region has banned tap water. Is it a warning for the rest of Europe?

www.theguardian.com ‘Even if we stop drinking we will be exposed’: Parts of France have banned tap water. Is it a warning for the rest of Europe?

Forever chemicals have polluted the water supply of 60,000 people, threatening human health, wildlife and the wider ecosystem. But activists say this is just the tip of the Pfas iceberg

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The good newsis that you can clean water of PFAS either at the water plant, or in a restauration project by pumping up the groundwater, filtering it and letting it re infiltrate.
The bad news is that it is very expensive, especially when treating an aquifer. However the sooner whatever is already in the ground and water is contained, the more damage can be prevented down the line.
Local authorities estimate nearly 3,000 people in the Haut-Rhin region fall into “vulnerable” categories. Each will receive a single €80 payment to help cover the cost of bottled water. But for people such as Wiedemann, the threat goes far beyond compensation.
What the fuck France? 80€ for having to rely on bottled water for the foreseeable future is a complete joke of a compensation, especially only going to vulnerable households.
- If they sell those huge 8L cans in France, it isn't that bad. They sell those for €0,75 each, so with €80 that is 853 litres of clean and drinkable water per person. That will last them for a year and if it isn't then fixed they will hopefully get more.
  Do they need to stock them up for 3–4 years? That's a different story, but generally people will not spread their money for multiple years for something like this. Don't forget that it is taxpayers money/
  
  853 liters over 365 days is 2.33 liters per day.
  That barely covers the pure drinking water. Now you need to cook, clean your dishes, brush your teeth...
  In disaster struck areas the bare minimum needed for temporary survival is considered to be around 10-15 liters per person per day. This amount is nowhere near enough. And as the PFAS aren't bacteria that can be killed with boiling, you cannot use that water for anything that comes into contact with the inside of people mouths.
  
  I assumed you would boil the pfas out of the water, but thinking about that, it doesn't make sense, you are right. Idk how people brush their teeth when there is no drinking water out of the tap, but apparently they do it.
- A reverse osmosis filter will run you $150 for parts - plus install and yearly filter changes. Start with that for costs. I would assume eu costs are similar but that is sometimes very wrong.
  
  And what to do with the waste water from the reverse osmosis (now more contaminated than the input)? And who pays for the water wasted?
  
  it goes to the sewer system which needs to be able to take care of things anyway. The amount of waste water through a RO system insignificant - your toilet flushing needs will use more water than your RO drinking water needs. (a typical low flush toilet, though some camping toilets use less)
  
  Haven't looked at them in a while, but I know the aquarium ro filters produce 1:1 waste: water. Could certainly be more efficient now, but I haven't researched in a while
  
  there are different systems with different efficiency ratings. However even the worst don't use much water - you don't drink much water in a day.
  
  Flush the toilet with it?

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