Pesticides in drinking water in the Netherlands, 1993-2001
The concentrations of pesticides in drinking water are so low that there is no threat to public health. The concentrations only exceed the drinking water standard on isolated occasions.
| Number of pumping stations that exceed the drinking water standard | ||||||
| 1993 | 1995 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
| Pesticides | ||||||
| Bromacil | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bentazone | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1,2 Dichloropropane | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Atrazine | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dikegulac 1) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| DNOC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ampa 1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dinoterb | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Phosphamidon | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azinphos-methyl | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Diuron | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| MCPP/mecoprop | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| BAM 1) | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Source: Water companies. | RIVM/EDC/Jun03/0277 | |||||
| 1) These metabolites have not been found to have any negative effects on human health. They do not therefore need to meet the standard. | ||||||
Concentrations of pesticides in drinking water: no threat to public health
Water companies take preventive action or use extra treatment techniques to keep pesticides out of drinking water. These measures have kept levels so low that the approximately 240 pumping stations in the Netherlands are not expected to represent a danger to public health.
Pesticides only present in drinking water in isolated cases
The drinking water standard for pesticides of 0.1 µg/l is only exceeded in isolated cases, for instance if a breakdown takes place in the purification process or if there is contamination of the groundwater or surface water (RIVM, 2003). The drinking water standard is based on the precautionary principle; in other words the pesticides in the drinking water were not measurable.
The substance 1,2 dichloropropane has been found on occasion in potato-growing areas.
The herbicide bentazone is found every year at a few pumping stations in both the groundwater and in the drinking water. Specific treatment processes have now been installed at a few pumping stations. As a result, since 2000, only one exceedance has been found: this was at a small groundwater extraction point.
Policy relating to use of pesticides
The policy bans a number of agents and aims to reduce the use of pesticides. An example of such a measure is working with municipalities to reduce their use of diuron for weed control on paved surfaces.
