Listen: Is tap water in the EU becoming less safe?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with Sphera Network.

EUobserver is proud to have an editorial partnership with Europod to co-publish the podcast series “Briefed” hosted by Léa Marchal. The podcast is available on all major platforms.

Find the full transcript below:

Tap water seems to be getting less healthy by the day.

French doctors are raising concerns about the contamination of drinking water by pesticides, PFAS, and microplastics.

Yet at the same time, the European Commission is considering loosening some water quality rules to make it easier to develop new mining projects.

So what’s the connection between drinking water and mining? And what can we realistically expect for the quality of our tap water?

Chemical pollution in water is a major public health issue, and one that is too often downplayed.

That’s the message a group of French doctors delivered to the government on 1 June.

According to them, current regulations do not do enough to protect consumers.

Take microplastics, for example. There is currently no maximum legal limit for microplastics in drinking water, even though scientists have already identified some potentially harmful effects on human health.

PFAS, on the other hand, are regulated in the European Union.

These so-called “forever chemicals” include some of the most persistent and concerning substances known today.

Since the beginning of 2026, all EU countries have been required to ensure that tap water contains no more than 100 nanograms per litre of PFAS.

The catch is that this limit applies to a group of 20 measurable PFAS compounds.

But there are thousands of other PFAS chemicals that are not routinely monitored.

So should the rules be changed?

That’s exactly what the group of French doctors is calling for.

They argue that action is needed on three fronts: expanding the range of substances that are monitored, reducing the production of PFAS and plastics at the source, and improving water filtration systems.

Those measures alone could significantly reduce people’s exposure to harmful substances.

So what does the European Union think?

In principle, the EU is alsways committed to protecting public health.

But the issue is more complicated than that.

Over the past few months, many European industries have complained about what they see as excessive regulatory burdens.

In this case, it is the mining sector in particular that argues it is being prevented from moving forward with projects because of the EU Water Framework Directive.

This is the legislation that sets PFAS limits in drinking water. It also affects permitting decisions: industrial and agricultural projects must not compromise the quality of surrounding water bodies.

The problem is that mining activities pollute groundwater.

At the same time, extracting critical raw materials has become a strategic priority for the European Union.

If Europe wants to succeed in its green transition—with solar panels, electric vehicles, and less dependence on China—it needs access to materials such as lithium, rare earths, cobalt, and many others.

So what takes priority? Water quality, or battery production in Europe?

The European Commission believes it is possible to achieve both.

It is preparing a targeted revision of the Water Framework Directive, with the aim of making it easier to develop mining projects while maintaining the directive’s environmental and public health ambitions.

But is that really possible?

In practice, it will almost certainly require some easing of the permitting conditions for new mines. Otherwise, the revision would have little practical effect.

What I can imagine is that the EU could move away from a strict precautionary approach and toward a system where projects receive approval more easily, provided companies implement measures to mitigate environmental risks.

For now, the proposal has yet to be published.

And judging by public feedback, the debate is likely to be intense.

The commission has already received more than 2,000 comments from stakeholders and citizens, with many warning against weakening existing water protections.

In the meantime, if you want to reduce your own exposure to contaminants, you can use high-performance water filtration systems.

And of course, if we want to tackle the issue at its source, reducing our overall consumption of plastics remains one of the most effective steps we can take.