Riccardo Liguori The historic French mineral water brand faces a new scandal. After feces and traces of carcinogenic pesticides were found in one of its springs, the company is under fire for its non-compliant filtering methods
@Perrier
It is now at the centre of a scandal-and the fizzy water of Perrier has been sold in its distinctive green bottle for two decades.
Its traces were found in the water from one of its springs in southern France. The shocking revelation compelled the company to stop its production and to destroy millions of bottles ready to go on sale. The incident gave rise to grave questions about the safety of bottled mineral water and also about the potential risks associated with climate change and industrial practices.
Feca matter and pesticides in the water
This is an incident that happened in the early part of 2024 when heavy rains hit the area around Vergèze, which serves as a source of the famous mineral water by Perrier. Immediately after those rains, traces of fecal matter showed up in one of the seven wells used by the company and thus immediately raised an alarm, thereby freezing the production process. More than 2 million bottles of sparkling water were destroyed as a precautionary measure.
Already, this incident adds to a sensitive situation that surrounds Perrier. A 2023 report, leaked to French media, has shown that even the springs from which it extracts water were polluted by traces of carcinogenic pesticides banned over three decades ago. Together, these two incidents beg questions about the adequacy of controls and filtration practices conducted by the company.
This was not the first time Perrier was facing such a safety scandal. In 1990, the company was forced to recall 160 million bottles from 120 countries after traces of benzene were found in the bottles, a chemical compound considered to cause cancer.
These events seem to dent a crystal-clear and premium image built by Perrier over the years. Mineral water is marketed for health and natural well-being, but the issues from the last year or so bring to the forefront the vulnerabilities in an industry which, like so many, has to grapple with climate change and severe regulations on the environment.
Climate change challenges
The Perrier case also puts into the spotlight another critical issue: the impact of climate change on water resources. Shifting rainfall patterns can affect the quality of the groundwater; therefore, contamination may be unpredictable.
Perrier water, which is acquired from Vergèze springs, is naturally filtered when it passes through layers of rock; however, unpredicted climatic changes may disrupt this delicate balance. If solid rainwater helps to facilitate the seepage of external matter like fecal matter, then the company may have to dramatically alter their processes in order to maintain the quality of the products.
Claims of fraud and lawsuit
The problems for Perrier are compounded by the recent settlement by its parent company, Nestlé, to settle a fraud case regarding illegal water filtration practices. Nestlé agreed in September 2024 to pay $2.2 million to settle a legal dispute accusing the company of illegally changing the composition of mineral water to achieve quality standards.
This settlement hasn’t gone unnoticed. The group Foodwatch denounced the agreement, saying it let Nestlé “cover up” the problem and not take complete responsibility. The group said the case showed there was a serious lack of transparency in the bottled water industry and reasons to be concerned about other companies possibly using similar tactics to keep their products on the market.
A new normal for bottled water
Yet, with all these scandals in the air, Perrier promised to reinforce checks on the quality of water and invest in new technologies to protect its springs. It promised to uphold “perfect hygiene and food safety“, but it also mentioned that extreme weather events may cause “fluctuations in product levels” in the future, probable code for saying such incidents may happen again.
It might be the new normal for a sector that is now increasing its exposure to environmental variables. Companies like Perrier are going to have to continue, with increasing frequency, making adaptations in climate-altered circumstances through enhanced monitoring systems and changing production practices to lessen the potential contamination of their products.
