Until now the town of Merlieux-et-Fouquerolles, 248 inhabitants, near Laon (Aisne) was known nationally for its Book Festival.
Now, it is for its level of chloridazone metabolites.
A herbicide used for the cultivation of beets, banned since 2019. It was 8.35 micrograms / l on October 19, 2022 according to the statements of the Regional Health Agency while the standard tolerated by the Ministry of Health is 3 micrograms/l since June.
Rates are high in three other municipalities: Versigny, Rogécourt and Thuel.
The collection points of around thirty other towns are monitored.
After long months of waiting and uncertainty, the elected officials of these four municipalities were received at the prefecture in Laon this Tuesday, November 22 in the morning.
In the process, the mayor of Merlieux-et-Fouquerolles Stéphanie Dumay-Gillet, who had organized a public meeting on Monday evening, announced that she was waiting for a letter from the prefecture inviting her to take action.
Finally, a restriction order was decided.
Water can no longer be consumed for drinking, for brushing teeth or for cooking food.
" Precautionary principle "
“The prefecture speaks of the precautionary principle, comments the elected official.
We wouldn't have enough perspective on the dangerousness of chloridazone.
We are in a valley.
Our water tower is located in a wood.
And all around are fields.
Some residents evoke the responsibility of the former farmer mayor but it is difficult to find who is guilty… There are also those who authorized the marketing of the treatment product.
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On the panels of the town hall, the rates are displayed, this was not the case until April and the death of the former mayor: “As soon as we receive them, they are made public, assures the mayor.
We are in transparency, prevention…”
In her village hall, she has currently stored two pallets of water bottles.
She will have to distribute some to her constituents.
She estimates the bill at 750 euros per week.
She relies on the availability of jerry cans in a neighboring town.
Locals should go there.
“It weighs on the budget”
The situation could last at least six months, the time that the municipality can connect to another catchment: “We are only at the level of the studies, there are more than 2 km of pipes.
It would cost 300,000 euros excluding taxes.
Community of communes, department, State reassured me… We are going to be helped.
“Still, the final bill will increase for users: “The price per m3 is 0.85 cents per m3.
This will be multiplied by three or even four, ”she predicts.
In the town, the inhabitants did not wait for the decree to drink bottled water: “It is worrying for health, reacts Yann, father of a 9-year-old child and who has lived here since 2009. As soon as we learned, we changed our habits.
This weighs on the budget at a time when everything is increasing.
We had chosen the countryside to be quiet.
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At Sylvie Devoir, childminder, everyone uses bottled water, even Luna, the labrador who twitched in front of her water bowl.
She looks after four children aged 2 to 7: “I need about 5 bottles a day, she confides.
I buy in packs and at the drive.
It is an organization but the parents are reassured.
I take this water to cook pasta.
I recycle bottles in the supermarket.
It should be up to the state to take charge of the water.
The mayor has nothing to do with it.
I'd rather pay more and be able to drink safely.
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