PFAS in Caen's tap water: under 4 ng/L, none of the four main PFAS detected
Last PFAS check: · Source: Hub'eau
PFAS in drinking water
None of the 4 most harmful PFAS detected
The lab sees nothing below 4 ng/L, 8 times our benchmark of 0.5 ng/L. Water above our benchmark would pass this check unnoticed.
0.5 ng/L is our benchmark, not an official limit. Same EFSA method as Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, but stricter. It's a yearly average, compared here with the latest check.
More about this result
The US also limits PFOA and PFOS to 4 ng/L each, per substance.
The lab detects each of the four substances from 1 ng/L upward. None reached that limit, so their total is below 4 ng/L rather than zero.
checked on 9 June 2026
20 PFAS (see each substance)
| PFAS substance | Value |
|---|---|
| Acide perfluoropentanoïque (PFPEA) | 0.0024 µg/L |
| Acide perfluorohexanoïque (PFHXA) | 0.0021 µg/L |
| Acide perfluorobutanoïque (PFBA) | 0.0013 µg/L |
| Acide perfluorododécanoique (PFDoDA) | <0,0010 µg/L |
| Acide perfluoropentane sulfonique (PFPS) | <0,0010 µg/L |
| Acide perfluoro-decanoïque (PFDA) | <0,001 µg/L |
| Acide perfluoro tridecanoique (PFTrDA) | <0,002 µg/L |
| Acide perfluoroheptanoïque (PFHPA) | <0,001 µg/L |
| Acide perfluorododécane sulfonique (PFDoDS) | <0,0020 µg/L |
| Acide perfluoro tridecane sulfonique (PFTrDS) | <0,0050 µg/L |
| Acide perfluorodecane sulfonique (PFDS) | <0,0010 µg/L |
| Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS) | <0,0010 µg/L |
| Acide perfluoro-octanoïque (PFOA) | <0,0010 µg/L |
| Acide sulfonique de perfluorooctane (PFOS) | <0,0010 µg/L |
| Acide perfluorononane sulfonique (PFNS) | <0,001 µg/L |
| Acide perfluoro undecane sulfonique (PFUnDS) | <0,001 µg/L |
| Acide perfluoroheptane sulfonique (PFHpS) | <0,0010 µg/L |
| Acide sulfonique de perfluorobutane (PFBS) | <0,0010 µg/L |
| Acide perfluoro undecanoïque (PFUnA) | <0,0010 µg/L |
| Acide perfluoro-nonanoïque (PFNA) | <0,0010 µg/L |
None found. The lab sees nothing below 4 ng/L, so our 0.5 ng/L benchmark cannot be checked.
Water report for Caen
Get new PFAS results for Caen, with a short explanation. At most one update a week, only when there's something new.
- EU legal limit
- 5.8 ng/L sum of 20 PFAS, below the 100 ng/L limit
- Last PFAS test
- 9 June 2026
- Water supplier
- EAUX DE NORMANDIE
In Caen, none of the 4 most closely watched PFAS (PFAS-4) was detected at the latest PFAS check on 9 June 2026. The total is below 4 ng/L, the sum of the detection limits and 8 times our 0.5 ng/L benchmark. Sum of 20 PFAS: 5.8 ng/L (0.0058 µg/L), below the EU legal limit (100 ng/L). 18 checks since 6 February 2025: sum of 20 PFAS up to 97.8 ng/L, sometimes below the detection limit. Source: Hub'eau, Qualité de l'eau potable (Ministère de la Santé / OFB / BRGM).
Details and sources
PFAS over time in Caen
18 PFAS checks since 6 February 2025, from the published measurements. Samples come from 6 distribution networks. The trend refers to the network “ZONE BASSE (CAEN)”.
“Calculated”: PFAS-4 worked out from the four substances in the same sample. The chart, averages and trends use lab-published sums only.
| Date | PFAS-4 | Sum of 20 PFAS | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 4 ng/L · calculated | 5.8 ng/L | ZONE HAUTE VAUCELLES | |
| 55 ng/L – < 56 ng/L · calculated | 97.8 ng/L | ZONE BASSE (CAEN), ZONE HAUTE (CAEN) | |
| < 4 ng/L · calculated | 6.3 ng/L | ZONE BASSE (CAEN), ZONE S.N.E. | |
| < 4 ng/L · calculated | < detection limit | ZONE SURPRESSEE | |
| 39.4 ng/L – < 40.4 ng/L · calculated | 89.8 ng/L | ZONE BASSE (CAEN), ZONE HAUTE (CAEN) | |
| 1.2 ng/L – < 4.2 ng/L · calculated | 2.4 ng/L | ZONE SURPRESSEE | |
| < 4 ng/L · calculated | 4.4 ng/L | ZONE SNO | |
| 26.2 ng/L – < 27.2 ng/L · calculated | 58.4 ng/L | ZONE BASSE (CAEN), ZONE HAUTE (CAEN) | |
| < 4 ng/L · calculated | < detection limit | ZONE HAUTE VAUCELLES, ZONE BASSE (CAEN) | |
| < 4 ng/L · calculated | < detection limit | ZONE SURPRESSEE | |
| 25.5 ng/L – < 26.5 ng/L · calculated | 55 ng/L | ZONE BASSE (CAEN), ZONE HAUTE (CAEN) | |
| 2.7 ng/L – < 4.7 ng/L · calculated | 5 ng/L | ZONE SNO |
Show the 6 earlier checks (back to 6 February 2025)
| < 4 ng/L · calculated | 4 ng/L | ZONE HAUTE VAUCELLES, ZONE BASSE (CAEN) | |
| 37.2 ng/L – < 38.2 ng/L · calculated | 59.5 ng/L | ZONE BASSE (CAEN), ZONE HAUTE (CAEN) | |
| < 6 ng/L · calculated | < detection limit | ZONE SURPRESSEE | |
| < 6 ng/L · calculated | < detection limit | ZONE HAUTE VAUCELLES, ZONE BASSE (CAEN) | |
| < 6 ng/L · calculated | < detection limit | ZONE SNO | |
| 23 ng/L – < 24 ng/L · calculated | 42 ng/L | ZONE BASSE (CAEN), ZONE HAUTE (CAEN) |
Calculated values: “<” is an upper bound from published thresholds, “≥” a lower bound, “–” means no published sum or complete measurement. How to read a PFAS result
What the latest check found
At the latest check, the water was within every limit tested.
Values to watch
These results are close to their legal limit, or over it.
| What was tested | Value | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 36.5 mg/L | ≤ 50 mg/L | within the limit |
See all 20 test results
| What was tested | Value | Limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 36.5 mg/L | ≤ 50 mg/L | within the limit |
| Nitrite | <0,010 mg/L | ≤ 0.5 mg/L | within the limit |
| Lead | 2.4 µg/L | ≤ 10 µg/L | within the limit |
| Copper | 0.057 mg(Cu)/L | ≤ 2 mg(Cu)/L | within the limit |
| Nickel | 2.1 µg/L | ≤ 20 µg/L | within the limit |
| Arsenic | <0,25 µg/L | ≤ 10 µg/L | within the limit |
| Cadmium | <0,025 µg/L | ≤ 5 µg/L | within the limit |
| Chromium | 0.85 µg/L | ≤ 50 µg/L | within the limit |
| Fluoride | <0,10 mg/L | ≤ 1.5 mg/L | within the limit |
| Escherichia coli | <1 n/(100mL) | ≤ 0 mL) | within the limit |
| Enterococci | <1 n/(100mL) | ≤ 0 mL) | within the limit |
| Coliform bacteria | <1 n/(100mL) | ≤ 0 mL) | within the limit |
| pH | 7.4 unité pH | 6.5–9 unité pH | within the limit |
| Water hardness | 24.1 °f | no limit | for reference |
| Electrical conductivity | 682 µS/cm | 200–1,100 µS/cm | within the limit |
| Chloride | 46.1 mg/L | ≤ 250 mg/L | within the limit |
| Sulphate | 31.8 mg/L | ≤ 250 mg/L | within the limit |
| Sodium | 19.4 mg/L | ≤ 200 mg/L | within the limit |
| Iron | 4 µg/L | ≤ 200 µg/L | within the limit |
| Turbidity | 0.2 NFU | ≤ 2 NFU | within the limit |
Frequently asked questions
Is tap water in Caen safe to drink?
Yes. At the check on 28 July 2026, the tap water in Caen was within every limit tested. “L'eau était, au moment du prélèvement, conforme aux normes bactériologiques fixées par la réglementation. Toutefois, la températu re était supérieure à la référence de qualité de 25°C.”
How high are PFAS levels in Caen's drinking water?
The total of 20 PFAS ("forever chemicals") was last measured at 5.8 ng/L. The EU limit is 100 ng/L, so this water is at 6 % of the limit. (below the EU limit)
Does the water in Caen also meet the strictest limits in Europe?
As far as this check can tell, yes. None of the four compounds was quantified, so their total is below 4 ng/L, the sum of the laboratory's detection limits, and under Sweden's legal limit of 4 ng/L in force since 2026.
Are PFAS levels rising in Caen's tap water?
Calculated PFAS-4 values are listed in the table. The chart uses laboratory-published sum-of-20 results; there are too few laboratory-published PFAS-4 sums for the existing trend calculation.
How hard is the water in Caen?
The water hardness in Caen is 24.1 °f (medium). This mainly matters for household appliances and detergent dosing, not for health.
Where does this data come from?
All values come from official publications: Hub'eau, Qualité de l'eau potable (Ministère de la Santé / OFB / BRGM). Retrieved on 21 September 2026.
Same water network
Same distribution network as Caen, so in principle the same water.
Nearby communes
The closest to Caen on this site.
Data source
- Hub'eau, Qualité de l'eau potable (Ministère de la Santé / OFB / BRGM)
- https://hubeau.eaufrance.fr/api/v1/qualite_eau_potable/resultats_dis?code_commune=14118
- License
- Licence Ouverte / Open Licence (Etalab)
- Retrieved
- 21 September 2026
- Supply networks
- ZONE HAUTE VAUCELLES, ZONE BASSE (CAEN), ZONE SNO, ZONE SURPRESSEE, ZONE HAUTE (CAEN), ZONE S.N.E.
This site is a data project, not an official source. If in doubt, check with your water supplier or local authority.