Vincent pushed the orange Alert Us button to let us know of a concern. This resident of Bernissart discovered that in Wallonia many drinking water pipes – including those in his town – are still made of asbestos cement, “a carcinogenic material”, he tells us. He does not understand why the Société Wallonne des Eaux does not take measures to have them replaced. She replies that to date, it has not been scientifically proven that ingesting asbestos can constitute a health risk. An explanation totally denounced by the president of the Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims.
“While looking for a recycling center to deposit fiber cement tiles containing asbestos, I came across an article which indicated the municipalities whose SWDE pipes were made of the same material! Living in Bernissart, how amazed she was by noting that 70% of our pipes were still made of this carcinogenic material. It is our city water that circulates in it”writes Vincent, worried, via the orange button Alert us.
This resident of Bernissart, in Hainaut, actually discovered that even today, in Wallonia, there are 3,100 km of asbestos-cement pipes to distribute city water. This represents approximately 10% of the Société Wallonne des Eaux network. These pipes mainly date from the post-war period. They were used in the early 1950s when a shortage of material was felt. This material was relatively available locally, which is why it was widely used at the time.
We are facing a constant danger: the ingestion of microfibers contained in the water
This type of pipes contains between 10 and 15% asbestos. “We are offended by potentially carcinogenic materials contained in household packaging which must disappear in the short term and here, we are faced with a constant danger: the ingestion of microfibers contained in water. A French study attests to this , and the SWDE does not seem to bother regarding it”continues Vincent.
Some residents of the town, however, are not worried. “Normally, everything has been replaced here, so there is no fear of asbestos cement”tells us Michel, who specifies that he prefers to buy bottled water. “There is a lot of limestone in the water at Bernissart. We cook with this water because we boiled it, but no more.” Same observation with Pietro, who says he has never heard of asbestos-cement pipes: “The water is very chalky in Bernissart, especially on the side where I live. The taste is not good. So I drink bottled water.”
In 51 and 75% of the pipes concerned in Frasnes-Lez-Anvaing
About thirty kilometers from Bernissart is Frasnes-Lez-Anvaing. This municipality of more than 11,000 inhabitants is one of those with the largest number of asbestos-cement pipes. Between 51 and 75%, according to the Société Wallonne des Eaux. A few months ago, the inhabitants, like Vincent, discovered that the pipes carrying their drinking water were made of this material. And this discovery has prompted some to change their habits. “It happens to me to drink tap water but more and more rarely since we were inverted that there was perhaps a risk of pollution”confides Pierre, who admits to being suspicious.
“At work, we shared a few articles that said there was asbestos in the pipes in FrasnesSolange tells us. At first, it worried me a little and I stopped drinking tap water for 2 or 3 days. Then I started once more because it’s more ecological, less expensive and I was informed that what was especially dangerous was at the level of breathing and less water so I didn’t care. worried.” Claire also drinks tap water at home and at work. This resident had decided to stop drinking it but following a few days, she also started drinking it once more. “One of our colleagues has been drinking this water for 18 years and he is doing well, so really, we have stopped worrying”she slips.
Additional analyzes requested
For her part, the mayor of Frasnes-Lez-Anvaing says she takes the matter very seriously. When she learned of the presence of asbestos-cement pipes on the territory of her municipality, she immediately contacted the Société Wallonne des Eaux. “They told us that we were going to have free analyzes to prove that the water was not dangerous at home. They were immediately very reassuring by taking the scientific element which is limestone”explains Carine De Saint Martin, who confirms that “the water is very hard, therefore very calcareous” in Frasnes-Lez-Anvaing. “And because the pipes have been around for a very long time, they are covered with limestone on the inside, which might protect these asbestos fibers.”
Analyzes carried out by an independent laboratory, the mayor of the entity tells us that she received a letter confirming that the results were indeed reassuring: “The analyzes did not contain asbestos fibers”she says. “At the level of the municipal college, we were not satisfied with that, because we had not received the analyses, just the mail. For us, we only believe what we see, so necessarily, we were further: we asked to see this analysis and we have received it now”, continues Carine De Saint Martin. As indicated by the SWDE, the analyzes did not include asbestos fibres, “but it’s only an analysis of a whole territory, in a place that they have of course kept secret”, laments our interlocutor. So she wasn’t satisfied either: “We would like the SWDE to pay the costs of an analysis per village at the level of Frasnes-Lez-Anvaing, therefore 13 on the entity”she says.
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The problem ? Asbestos is not a parameter to take into account when analyzing water quality. It is therefore not a legal obligation. “We must respect the Walloon legislation contained in the Water Codeinforms us Sébastien Ronkart, director of water quality within the SWDE. There is a list of substances that we must look for in the water to comply with the legislation and asbestos is not one of them.
However, the Société Wallonne des Eaux, on its own initiative, decided to carry out analyzes for asbestos fibers in order to ensure the quality of their water. These analyzes were carried out at the customer’s tap, considered to be the point of compliance. “The results we have obtained on the water we distribute to our customers are reassuring. We can highlight the absence of detection of asbestos fibers at our customers’ taps”, assures Sébastien Ronkart. And to continue: “I am not a toxicologist but by reading the WHO studies, whose last specific report on asbestos in drinking water dates from December 2021, they conclude that the risk is rather linked to the inhalation of asbestos. asbestos, therefore the fact of breathing asbestos fibers. But in the event of ingestion of tap water, the risk is not proven. So the WHO concludes on the point of drawing up a guideline for asbestos in water.”
Let’s not wait for people to die to act, let’s act now
A conclusion totally “inaudible” for Eric Jonckheere, president of the Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims (Abeva). The latter believes that the precautionary principle must take precedence. “Studies are starting to be alarming on the resurgence of colon and stomach cancers. Asbestos fibers were found in the organs at the time of the autopsy. I think we have to worry”he warns. “For the moment, the risk is not scientifically proven but I say: let’s not wait for people to die to act, let’s act now… just like they are doing in Switzerland and Italy”, continues our interlocutor. This tells us that in these two countries, the authorities decide to act with 200,000 fibers per litre. “In Belgium, there are municipalities in Wallonia where there are 3 million fibers per liter and we still shrug our shoulders”denounces the president of Abeva.
Eric Jonckheere tells us to be wary of messages and speeches claiming that it is not dangerous to ingest asbestos. “For years, we have been tried to be made to believe that it was not proven and therefore not dangerous to inhale asbestos. I ask that we do not wait years before realizing that people are dying because of the asbestos present in the water. I ask that the political authorities make decisions and that we can finally drink water that is as uncontaminated as possible.” He is waiting for funds to be released so that the necessary work can be carried out.
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Each year, the SWDE invests approximately 60 million euros for the renewal of its water pipes. If certain pipes have to be changed for various criteria, the Société Wallonne des Eaux ensures that it is attentive to this. “We have a multi-criteria grid to assess the relevance of renewing our network”, indicates the SWDE water quality director. Criteria such as dilapidation or the presence of a possible leak are observed. But the fact that a pipe is made from asbestos cement does not constitute, to date, a reason for replacement. “Know that these pipes are very resistant to a whole series of phenomena such as corrosion. They are extremely stable materials in relation to the environment in which they are located”says Sébastien Ronkart.
Fortunately, this type of material has not been used since the mid-1970s. And the pipes are gradually being renewed through SWDE inspection programs. “I think it has been banned, like any material related to construction. The risk is proven when handling materials that contain asbestos. But the ban is linked to the material and not to the fact that it is toxic to the water”he concludes.