CVM, a poison in our pipes that the State lets flow

© ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Archives

The drinking water of thousands of French people has been contaminated by a carcinogenic agent, CVM, for over 50 years. Despite warnings since the 1970s, the State is taking it easy, exposing millions of citizens to a major health hazard.

An investigation by Reporterre shows that the case is as old as it is scandalous. Decades after vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) was identified as a carcinogen, thousands of kilometers of PVC pipes used for water supply continue to contaminate drinking water. This toxic gas is responsible for alarming levels of pollution in tap water, and the authorities seem to have taken years to recognize the extent of the problem. “Legislators have seriously lacked diligence,” denounces researcher Gaspard Lemaire, whose analyses helped reveal the situation. Result: 6,410 cases of contamination identified between 2014 and 2024, mainly affecting small rural communities, often left behind.

Although the risks have been well known since the 1980s, it was only in 2007 that detection measures were put in place… but their effectiveness remains to be proven. According to Astee, systematic analyses only began in 2011, after much hesitation. In the meantime, the State is passing the buck to local authorities. “Replacing pipes is long and costly,” explains Franco Novelli of the FNCCR. “At this rate, we'll never get out of it,” he emphasizes.

The cost of changing pipes, sometimes between 50,000 and 200,000 euros per kilometer, makes the operation unfeasible for small municipalities, which are already in financial difficulty. And despite government promises, public aid is proving insufficient. This “puzzle” affects the French unequally: residents of large cities are often unaware of these contaminations, while in rural areas, water becomes a real daily poison. A situation that the State has never really wanted to take responsibility for. We let it flow…

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