The non-profit organisation SOS Notre Santé, along with over 130 citizens, has formally become a civil party in the PFAS contamination case, filing their claims with the investigating magistrate in charge of the case.
“This step aims to obtain official recognition of a proven overexposure and significant intoxication of the population by these health-threatening substances,” said Geoffrey Vanstals, President of SOS Notre Santé. He added, “Nearly two years after the broadcast of RTBF’s investigative documentary 'Le Silence Coupable,' in November 2023, many critical questions remain unanswered. The public feels the case is stagnating dangerously.”
The group highlighted the lack of progress in delivering analysis results. “In January 2024, during registration for biomonitoring organised by ISSEP, each affected citizen had to complete a detailed questionnaire. This questionnaire was supposed to determine whether tap water was indeed the source of the contamination,” the association explained. Yet, results expected by June 2024 have still not been released.
According to SOS Notre Santé, no authority has yet officially acknowledged that tap water in Chièvres and Ronquières poisoned the local population. “The main issue remains the lack of clear communication and responsibility from the authorities and stakeholders involved. To this day, public bodies have not confirmed that the water supply caused these intoxications. People are now eagerly waiting for the investigation to make concrete progress,” the organisation stated.
A report from ISSEP, dated 18 April 2025, showed significant overexposure to PFAS in Chièvres, Ronquières, Florennes, and Nandrin. The findings were based on re-sampling conducted in those regions, as well as on tests performed in the Florennes area.
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