Perrier shuts down Vergèze plant after incident at wastewater treatment facility
Production at Perrier’s historic facility in Vergèze, southern France, has been halted following an incident at the site’s internal wastewater treatment station. The shutdown was ordered by local authorities after an inspection carried out by the Regional Directorate for Environment, Planning and Housing (DREAL), the prefecture confirmed on Friday.
According to officials, a formal notice was issued to Nestlé Waters on December 10, giving the company eight days to bring its wastewater treatment system into compliance. All production lines remain suspended until corrective measures are completed.
Radio France reported that the malfunction may be linked to extensive nitric acid disinfection conducted after the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogenic bacterium, in one of the site's groundwater wells. The prefecture has not confirmed this information.
Nestlé Waters acknowledged a “temporary suspension of production” due to the incident at the adjacent treatment facility, which processes wastewater from the factory. The company insisted that the problem is unrelated to the safety or quality of its natural mineral water and stated that production is now “gradually resuming.” It also denied any pollution of the nearby Vistre River.
This latest disruption comes after 2,500 pallets of Perrier bottles were blocked earlier in December due to bacteriological inconsistencies identified by the regional health authority (ARS). The brand remains under intense scrutiny following a 2024 revelation that Nestlé Waters had previously used prohibited treatment techniques on its mineral waters.
Since then, the company has shifted to new microfiltration technologies, but their compliance with regulations has been contested, prompting Nestlé Waters to submit new applications for authorization in July. A final decision regarding the continued use of the “natural mineral water” designation is expected by the end of March.
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