Drinking water

Drinking water must be clear, pleasant smelling and tasting, easily digestible and therefore soft, free of bacterial germs and non-radioactive.

Decree no. 2001-1220 of December 20, 2011 sets quality limits and references for water intended for human consumption, excluding natural mineral water. This decree is codified in the French Public Health Code (art. R1321-1 to R1321-66). In addition, the decree of January 11, 2007 sets quality standards for a number of substances in drinking water, including chlorine, limestone, lead, nitrates, pesticides and bacteria.

The quality limits for water intended for human consumption for certain substances are given in table 2 .