The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) in the drinking water of several distribution units in France led the General Directorate of Health to request the High Council for Public Health (HCSP) on the management of health risks. The HCSP:

• recommends making understandable and objective information easily accessible on the PFAS considered to be at greatest risk, as well as on the products and main sources of emissions and exposure, other than drinking water, considered to be at risk;
• provides recommendations regarding analytical capabilities and treatment processes for PFAS in water;
• indicates that it is essential to publish as quickly as possible the concentration levels of target PFAS (and other emerging pollutants) detected in marketed bottled water as well as in other beverages;
• recommends that a national synthesis be carried out every three months concerning PFAS data in water resources used to produce drinking water and in drinking water. These elements must aim to determine priority risk territorial areas;
• recommends, in addition to the quality limit of 100 ng/L for the sum of the concentrations of the 20 PFAS resulting from the European Drinking Water Directive (DWD), and waiting for proposals of toxicological reference values with possibly a proposal for the development of reference guide values by the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses), to retain in addition, the provisional threshold value of 20 ng/L for the sum of the concentrations of the four PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFHxS) in drinking water and natural mineral waters for drinking purposes. Considering the variability and precision of analysis methods, the HCSP proposes to integrate management decisions by retaining an expanded uncertainty on the measured concentrations of 30%.