The opinion in question seems to establish a correlation between the consumption of tap water and the current coronavirus crisis, stating “Due to the Covid-19 health crisis and as a safety measure, the ARS (Regional Health Agency) advises you to boil tap water before consuming it”.
When contacted by RTL, the mayor of Rédange, Daniel Cimarelli, said the leaflet was legitimate. The opinion comes from the town hall, but Cimarelli justified himself by explaining that the press release is linked to a problem of water turbidity due to heavy rainfall in recent weeks.
During a health check on 10 March , the regional health agency established that the local drinking water did not comply with regulations for turbidity, which can risk microbiological contamination and interfere with disinfection. The local council was asked to take corrective measures to restore water quality in the area, increasing the amount of chlorine. The agency said communication was awkward and it wished to reassure residents there was no risk of coronavirus contamination through the tap water.
Tap water is safe to drink in Rédange and elsewhere in France. The WHO confirmed different stages of water treatment, using disinfection methods such as chlorine, ozone and UV, are intended to eliminate all viruses. According to scientific and epidemiological knowledge already established, no case of contamination is related to drinking water.
