The problem

Decades of pollution from industry and agriculture have destroyed our drinking water. Drinking water wells in Denmark are shut down again and again, and water utilities blend contaminated water with cleaner water to stay under the limit values and still meet demand. The substances are not removed – they are diluted.

Danish water utilities are required to monitor the limit value for 73 substances. However, we know of more than 4,700 PFAS substances and 590 pesticides used in Denmark.

At least 56.8% of Danish wells contain pesticide residues, and at least 18% contain PFAS. Only a fraction of the substances that actually exist are tested for – and if just ten more pesticides were tested for, the figure rises markedly, with exceedances of the limit values rising to more than a quarter, pointing to a significant hidden problem. We only find what we look for – not what we don't look for.

The substances are linked to cancer, infertility, and organ damage. WHO generally identifies contaminated drinking water as one of the greatest global health risks, and globally, at least 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water.

Like most of the rest of the world, Denmark will have to distinguish between utility water and drinking water. Until then, it is the body that acts as the filter.

Sources: GEUS, WHO