Water Syndicate in Corrèze Fined €2k for Cancerous Tap Water Pollution

For the first time in France, a water syndicate has been fined for tap water contamination. The syndicat des Eaux des Deux Vallées was sentenced to pay €2,000 as compensation to an inhabitant of Champagnac-la-Noaille in Corrèze.

The pollution resulted from vinyl chloride monomer (CVM), a gas classified as definitely carcinogenic, which leaked into old PVC pipes installed during the 1970s. The victim purchased her home in 2015 and unknowingly consumed contaminated tap water for five years until discovering the issue in 2020.

On September 30, the Tulle tribunal ruled that regular tests had failed to detect levels exceeding 0.5 micrograms per liter. Her lawyer argued that given the health risks, the pipes should have been flushed immediately.