Tap water… An eco-friendly resource at the heart of sustainable practices

Drinking tap water helps reduce plastic waste. Around 80 million tonnes of plastic pollute the oceans, whilst a plastic bottle takes up to 1,000 years to break down and is only recycled half the time.

It is therefore a local and sustainable alternative to bottled water, significantly reducing plastic waste and minimising the environmental impact of transport.

To support this transition, the Syndicat de l’Eau du Dunkerquois is setting up information and activity stands and water distribution points at events, whilst also organising awareness campaigns and distributing reusable water bottles.

The ‘Fill Your Water Bottle Here’ scheme complements this initiative by allowing residents to fill their water bottles for free at participating shops, thereby making it easier to access drinking water whilst reducing waste.

DID YOU KNOW?

300 km, That is the average distance bottled water travels before being consumed, almost the distance from Paris to Dunkirk

A cost-effective solution: tangible benefits in everyday life!

Tap water is, above all, an obvious economic choice. In the Dunkirk area, it is 100 times cheaper than bottled water, making it an affordable option for everyone and helping to boost purchasing power

But the savings don’t stop at the price of water

Improving water quality involves, in particular, reducing limescale. Water hardness has been reduced by a third, from 33°F to 22°F, to provide softer water for everyday use

This development also helps to significantly reduce household expenditure, as water with lower limescale content extends the lifespan of appliances by up to 30%. It also reduces the use of cleaning products and lowers energy consumption, particularly as 40% of the water used is heated

Overall, drinking tap water can save a household up to €400 a year compared with consuming the same amount of bottled water

Constant monitoring

In France, tap water is the most closely monitored foodstuff, subject to rigorous and constant scrutiny. In the Dunkirk area, more than 75,000 tests are carried out each year to ensure full compliance with health standards.

This quality is confirmed annually by the Regional Health Agency (ARS), ensuring that the water meets current standards, including those relating to pesticide residues.

Moreover, the regulatory limits are set at very conservative levels and ensure safety on a day-to-day basis. Finally, vigilance is constant: none of the PFAS specified in the regulations are detected, and tap water remains a healthy, safe resource that is carefully monitored on a daily basis

Environmentally friendly, economical and rigorously monitored, tap water offers many benefits for residents in their daily lives!

The Syndicat de l’Eau du Dunkerquois supplies drinking water to nearly 220,000 residents across 29 municipalities, with a network spanning 1,600 km and an annual water consumption of around 12 million cubic metres