PFAS in the tap water around Chemours
Chemours in Dordrecht is the best-known PFAS factory in the Netherlands. What does that mean for the tap water in Dordrecht and the surrounding Drechtsteden area? The tap water meets the legal standard. In Dordrecht it contains slightly more PFAS than the RIVM advises, while some neighbouring towns have very little. Here you can read the figures and what you can do yourself.
See the figures Shop ZeroWaterHow much PFAS is in the tap water around Chemours?
- The tap water around Chemours meets the legal standard.
- In Dordrecht it is just above the RIVM advice.
- In Alblasserdam and Papendrecht the tap water contains almost no PFAS.
- The RIVM and the local health service say: just keep drinking tap water.
By area
| Area | Drinking water company | PFAS (ng/l)** | Compared with the advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dordrecht | Evides (Baanhoek treatment plant) | 4.9 | just above |
| Zwijndrecht and Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht South | Oasen (same water as Dordrecht) | similar to Dordrecht | around the advice |
| Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht North | Oasen | 3.3 | below |
| Alblasserdam and Papendrecht | Oasen (treated with reverse osmosis) | 0 to 0.7 | well below |
| Alblasserwaard and Vijfheerenlanden | Oasen | 0.9 | well below |
Do you live in Sliedrecht, Hardinxveld-Giessendam or another town nearby? Enter your postcode in the Greenpeace PFAS postcode check (in Dutch) or check the website of your drinking water company.
Does the PFAS in the tap water come from Chemours?
Not directly. Evides makes the tap water for Dordrecht at the Baanhoek treatment plant, right next to Chemours. That water comes mainly from the river Meuse, via the reservoirs in the Biesbosch, topped up with deep groundwater from 80 to 140 metres. Chemours discharges its wastewater further downstream into the river Merwede.
So the PFAS in Dordrecht tap water mainly comes with river water, just like in the rest of the western Netherlands. Oasen takes water from the ground along the river Lek and treats it with reverse osmosis at several locations. That is why the tap water in Alblasserdam and Papendrecht contains almost no PFAS.
Other figures you may come across. A report for the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT, 2024) lists 11.8 nanograms per litre for Baanhoek. That is based on older Evides measurements (December 2022 to November 2023). The Greenpeace analysis uses the average of more recent measurements, up to the end of June 2026, and comes out lower. PFAS levels vary from one measurement and one year to the next.
* Weighted by harmfulness (PFOA equivalents), using the calculation method of the RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment). Source: analysis by Greenpeace Netherlands based on measurement data from the ten Dutch drinking water companies, September 2026 (average of measurements up to the end of June 2026). ** Dordrecht: Greenpeace 2026. Other areas: ILT report 2024 (measurements July 2022 to June 2023) and the municipality of Papendrecht (Oasen, 2023). Levels may vary by neighbourhood and by measurement.
What you should know about Chemours
Chemours (formerly DuPont) has been making fluoropolymers such as Teflon in Dordrecht for decades. This releases PFAS. Most attention goes to the air, soil and vegetable gardens around the factory.
PFOA and GenX
Until 2012 the factory used PFOA, and after that its replacement GenX. Both substances entered the air through the chimney and the river Merwede through wastewater.
Advice for vegetable gardens
The RIVM advises (2022) not to eat vegetables and fruit from gardens up to 1 kilometre north-east of the factory. Up to about 10 kilometres: alternate with vegetables from the shop.
Tap water
The local health service (GGD Zuid-Holland Zuid) gives no separate advice for tap water. The tap water in the area meets the legal standard. Want to take in less PFAS? Then you can filter your water as an extra step.
What is PFAS?
PFAS is a large group of man-made substances. They are found in many things you use every day.
- Non-stick pans
- Rain jackets and outdoor clothing
- Food packaging
- Cosmetics and firefighting foam
Why is it called a ‘forever chemical’?
- PFAS hardly break down in nature.
- They enter rivers and groundwater through factories and products.
- That water is also used to make drinking water.
- They stay in your body for a long time.
Why PFAS deserves attention
The RIVM says: together, people in the Netherlands take in more PFAS than is good for our health. This comes mainly from food, but also from drinking water.
It builds up
Your body clears PFAS only slowly. Small amounts add up over the years.
Effect on your immune system
According to the RIVM, even small amounts of PFAS can make your immune system work less well.
The advice is stricter than the law
The RIVM advises 4.4 nanograms per litre. The law is less strict. Below you can read the difference.
Law and advice: what's the difference?
There are two numbers you may read about. They don't measure exactly the same thing, but this is how it works:
- The law (EU, since 12 January 2026): a maximum of 100 nanograms per litre for 20 PFAS combined. Dutch tap water meets this standard.
- The RIVM advice: 4.4 nanograms per litre. Here the RIVM gives more weight to how harmful each type of PFAS is.
The advice is stricter because there is new knowledge about the effects of PFAS. The government is waiting for advice from the WHO before changing the law.
Good to know
- Tap water in the Netherlands is safe to drink, say the RIVM and the drinking water companies.
- Drinking water made from groundwater (mainly in the east and north) contains less PFAS.
- Drinking water made from river water (mainly in the west) contains more PFAS.
- Boiling does not remove PFAS from your water.
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less PFAS in your water
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Add to cartView product →Questions about PFAS around Chemours
Can I still drink the tap water in Dordrecht?
Yes. The tap water in Dordrecht and the surrounding area meets the legal standard. The RIVM, the local health service and the drinking water companies advise you to keep drinking tap water. Want to take in less PFAS? Then you can filter your water as an extra step.
Does the PFAS in my tap water come from Chemours?
Not directly. The tap water for Dordrecht is made mainly from Meuse water from the Biesbosch and deep groundwater. Chemours discharges downstream into the river Merwede. The PFAS in the tap water mainly comes with river water, as it does everywhere in the western Netherlands. Around the factory itself, the concern is mainly PFAS in the air, soil and vegetable gardens.
Is the amount of PFAS the same everywhere around Chemours?
No. In Dordrecht the tap water contains an average of 4.9 nanograms per litre, just above the RIVM advice. In Alblasserdam and Papendrecht it is almost zero, because Oasen treats the water there with reverse osmosis. Check your own postcode for the figure at your home.
Does ZeroWater filter all PFAS?
The honest answer: ZeroWater is certified for PFOA and PFOS, the two best-known PFAS. There are thousands of types of PFAS, such as GenX. We have no certificate for the other types, so we don't make any promises about them.
Does boiling or bottled water help?
Boiling does not remove PFAS from water. According to the RIVM and the drinking water companies, bottled water is not the answer, and it creates a lot of plastic waste. A filter on your regular tap water is a simpler alternative.
How often should I replace the filter?
That depends on your tap water. The harder your water, the faster the filter fills up. Test your water with the TDS meter: when it shows 006, it's time for a new filter.
Know what you drink
Just tap water, but with less PFAS. For you and your family in Dordrecht and the surrounding area.
Shop ZeroWater Replacement filters- RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) – PFAS in drinking water. rivm.nl/pfas/drinkwater
- EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 (PFAS standard in force since 12 January 2026). eur-lex.europa.eu
- PFAS levels per municipality: analysis by Greenpeace Netherlands based on measurement data from the ten Dutch drinking water companies, September 2026. View the source · methodology (PDF) (in Dutch).
- M.T.O. Jonker (Utrecht University), PFAS in Rhine, Meuse and drinking water, commissioned by the ILT (Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate), February 2024 (table 4.5). View PDF (in Dutch)
- Evides – PFAS and drinking water, local situation in Dordrecht. evides.nl (in Dutch)
- Waterforum – sources of the Baanhoek treatment plant (Meuse water via the Biesbosch and deep groundwater), 2016. waterforum.net (in Dutch)
- Municipality of Papendrecht via Het Kontakt – Papendrecht drinking water 0.7 ng/l PFOA equivalents (Oasen), November 2023. hetkontakt.nl (in Dutch)
- RIVM – PFAS in crops from vegetable gardens in Dordrecht, Papendrecht, Sliedrecht and Molenlanden, September 2022. rivm.nl (in Dutch)
- GGD Zuid-Holland Zuid (local health service) – PFAS and health advice. ggdzhz.nl (in Dutch)
- ZeroWater Performance Data Sheet, IAPMO certification to NSF/ANSI 53 and 42. View PDF
ZeroWater is certified for the reduction of PFOA and PFOS. Results were achieved under laboratory conditions; actual results may vary.