Global 2000 Launches Testing Campaign on PFAS in Private Household Wells

Background to the Campaign

According to Global 2000, the laboratory analysis covers the 20 PFAS compounds defined in the EU Drinking Water Directive. The testing is supported and carried out by the environmental analytical laboratory Institut Dr. Wagner.

As part of the campaign, interested parties can submit a sample at a price reduced by one third, at 234 euros per sample. According to Global 2000, this price is significantly below the usual rates of commercial laboratories. The regular standard price is around one third higher.

The campaign is explicitly aimed at private households that draw their drinking water from their own household well. It does not replace official monitoring by water suppliers, but is intended to enable self-monitoring and an initial assessment of one's own water quality.

Price and Procedure

Global 2000 sees the campaign as a supplement to existing regulation: with the results from private water supplies, the organization also wants to improve the available data on PFAS contamination outside the public supply network.

Burtscher-Schaden pointed out that many owners of private wells do not know whether their water is contaminated, as there is no obligation to carry out regular testing. The campaign is intended to provide more transparency here.

According to the organization, interest in the campaign is being promoted through its website and through environmental networks. After submitting their sample, participants receive a laboratory report with the measurement results as well as an initial assessment by Global 2000.

Interpretation of the Results

According to Global 2000, participation is limited in time; details on the duration and submission deadlines will be published on the organization's website. The campaign is part of a broader initiative by the NGO to raise awareness of PFAS risks.

With the campaign price of 234 euros per sample, Global 2000 says it aims to set a low threshold for self-monitoring. Laboratory costs at commercial facilities are usually significantly higher, it said.

The environmental organization emphasizes that the results are not to be understood as a legally binding assessment of drinking water quality, but as guidance for affected households. In the event of exceedances, Global 2000 recommends further measures and consultation with specialist agencies.