For several days now, consumption has been prohibited for children under 4 years old. Recent measurements carried out by the ARS (Regional Health Agency) indicated levels of manganese, a natural metal, up to twenty times higher than the authorized thresholds in tap water in France.
And press release from the town hall Saint-André de Sangonis published this Tuesday, October 17, 2023 had the effect of a bomb on its inhabitants. It can be read in black and white: “Following a new analysis showing a high manganese level and without waiting for the prefect’s decision, we recommend non-consumption of network water“…Followed by a location and time at which Saint-Andreans can pick up a bottle of water,”per person“.
This communication comes several weeks after a collective of residents (the Collectif Eau Saint-André) highlighted the shortcomings of the town hall and the ARS (Regional Health Agency) concerning water quality.
The Collective mainly asks for answers regarding these excessively high levels of manganese, and more transparency from institutions on the subject.
Manganese is a metal considered an essential trace element, naturally contained in the human body between 12 and 20 mg, but also in water. It participates in particular in the protection of cells and the framework.
In France, tap water must not exceed the legal threshold of 50 micrograms of manganese per liter (µg/L). Beyond this threshold, consumption of manganese, especially repeatedly and daily, can become a health hazard and lead to diarrhea, neurological effects and problems with memory, attention and motor skills.
In Saint-André de Sangonis, the latest rates recorded by the ARS published this Tuesday, October 17 showed 1000 µg of manganese per liter. That is to say a threshold twenty times higher than the average.
To understand the situation that worries Saint-André de Sangonis, we have to go back a year. In September 2022, the residents of the town opened their taps and discovered light brown water flowing out, before becoming transparent again a few seconds later. Since then, many homes continue to experience this abnormal flow.
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A resident of Saint-André de Sangonis explains his pipe problems. • ©F Hertmann and F Jobard
At the beginning of October 2023, a resident testified on France 3: “In the sink I have to run the water several times so that it loses its brown color. Once cleared, I drink it, without asking too many questions.“The first time, this retiree decided to call”water officials“who, after checking his flow, estimated that the coloring was not alarming.”They still encouraged me to drain. Once I purged my entire network, the water collected was dark brown with lots of small granules in it, like pebbles.“
A few days later, the ARS indicated during a public meeting that the browner the water, the more manganese it was.
A young mother from Saint-André also explains that she was alarmed when her daughter lost 10 kg in a few months, due to diarrhea and vomiting. “We did some analyses, and our doctor highlighted this possible manganese problem. When I inquired I discovered that the rates included in the city’s taps were much too high. A lady from the ARS even told me that she advised me not to drink tap water, which she herself had not consumed for a long time.“.
But where does this manganese come from? The mayor, Jean-Pierre Gabaudan, first thinks of a water tower problem: “we thought that with its recent renovation we had disturbed the pipes a little, and that the manganese had come loose. So we purged the network.“But to no effect. The town hall prohibits the consumption of water by children under 4 years old.
After several complaints from the Collectif Eau Saint-André and a petition, the town hall is organizing a public information meeting on September 28. It was then decided to set up weekly analyses, distribute bottled water to all schools and transmit clear messages to residents’ questions.
An official meeting between the mayor of Saint-André de Sangonis, the ARS, the head of the Communauté de communes Vallée de l’Hérault (CCVH) and the Collective is organized some time later. The analyzes presented at this meeting then indicate manganese levels well above average.
The water tower is no longer singled out, the mayor then speaks of a water table problem. “With the drought there is no more water in the groundwater and by pumping we remove the manganese“, he explained on October 4.
Finally, this Tuesday, October 17, 2023, water consumption was prohibited for the entire population of the small town near Montpellier. “I’m glad that the town hall is finally taking this subject seriously.“Sandra is part of the Collectif Eau Saint-André.”Unfortunately, we have to arrive at a rate of 1000 µg/L so that things move, and organizations communicate with the population.“
A resident of the town since 2019, the young mother expresses her relief to see the town hall “to move” to solve the problem. “If only by the water distribution last night. One bottle per person is not enough, but I don’t blame them, we have to give them time to turn around… What I just hope is that they won’t leave us like that on the long term.“
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A video posted on social media showing brown water flowing from taps. • ©F Hertmann and F Jobard
When asked to analyze why this problem took so long to be addressed, Sandra immediately responds: “Because the ARS, the town hall and the CCVH have minimized the figures. Measurements should have been taken directly among residents, not just at the usual measurement points. If the ARS had not minimized the rates, we would not have gotten to this point.“
Beyond manganese, the question of water quality in Occitania returned to the forefront this Wednesday, October 18. The newspaper The chained Duck was able to consult an email from the boss of the ARS d’Occitanie, Didier Jaffre, in which he reports water that “should no longer be consumed but only used for everything else” and indicates the importance of favoring bottled water.
“Very clearly, we are going to have to change our approach and our discourse; there are PFAS (poly or perfluoroalkyl substances) and metabolites everywhere. And the more we look, the more we will find.“.
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