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France Prepares PFAS Testing Rule for Sewage Sludge at Largest Treatment Plants

The move signals a shift to nationwide sludge checks before the EU’s 2033 surveillance rule.

Overview

  • The ecological transition minister unveiled a draft circular that will require PFAS tests on sludge before farm spreading, with publication expected in about two weeks.
  • The plan covers plants that treat wastewater for at least 10,000 people, about 1,100 sites that handle most sludge spread on fields.
  • Industrial facilities that spread sludge must run the same measurements, and loads above a coming threshold would go to incineration or landfill.
  • Officials traced high PFAS in Grand Est drinking water to sludge from a paper mill, which must keep about 100 tonnes on site and stop spreading.
  • Early April data showed 14 water networks out of compliance affecting about 3,900 people, while new carbon filters have since restored safe supply in seven communes.