Contaminated mineral water: the courts are knocking on the doors of the Perrier and Vittel factories

Raids were carried out on Tuesday, May 19, at several Nestlé Waters sites, including the iconic Perrier factory in Vergèze, in the Gard department, and the analytical laboratory in Vittel, in the Vosges department. These operations are part of a judicial investigation opened by the public health division of the Paris prosecutor's office, following a complaint of fraud filed by the NGO Foodwatch against the group. Around forty agents from the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) were mobilized for these unannounced inspections, which also targeted the Swiss group's research and development center.

Nestlé Waters is accused of using prohibited treatments on water contaminated with bacteria and traces of chemicals, even though natural mineral waters are legally required to be pure at the source. The investigation aims to determine whether these processes constitute misrepresentation of the quality of the water marketed by the group. Contacted by several media outlets, Nestlé Waters' communications department confirmed the operations, stating that it is "fully cooperating with the relevant authorities."

A scandal revealed as early as 2024, legal proceedings that are accelerating

It was at the beginning of 2024 that Le Monde and Radio France's investigative unit exposed the use of illegal filtration methods, including activated carbon and ultraviolet light, at sites in the Gard and Vosges regions. These revelations sent shockwaves through the bottled water industry, prompting health authorities to launch their own inspections and lawmakers to revise the tolerance thresholds applicable to packaged water.

In December 2025, the Gard prefecture authorized Nestlé Waters to continue operating two of its natural mineral water wells at the Vergèze site, subject to certain conditions. Tuesday's raids mark a new stage in the legal proceedings of a case that calls into question the very promise of major mineral water brands: that of natural purity at the source, guaranteed without treatment.