A new crisis at the Perrier source: in Vergèze, residents oscillate between confidence and questions

At the Bar des Sports, Place de la République, in Vergèze, the future of the Perrier spring site is causing discussion, without causing concern. That's the opinion of Mélodie and Anthony. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

It's hard to find any real signs of concern among the Vergézois, a few days after our colleagues at Le Monde revealed an opinion from the Regional Health Agency (ARS) suggesting the end of the marketing of the famous green bottle.

“Maybe the Americans won't ask themselves whether they'll continue to drink Perrier, they like our bottle too much”. Just in front of the Vergèze market halls, on this market day, Claude and his wife show little concern. Even though they recognize that if, tomorrow, the source were forced to close its doors, “it would still be a catastrophe for us”.

A few days after the revelation, by Le Monde, of a report from the Regional Health Agency (ARS) pointing to a potential “virological risk for consumers”, following recent bacteriological analyses of the fizzy drink, questions are being raised about the future of the famous Gard spring. Especially since the ARS, which only has an advisory opinion, does not hesitate this time to suggest “a halt to the production of natural mineral water on the Vergèze site”.

“We've seen a lot of stories about Perrier”

“We've seen a lot of stories about the Perrier spring, nonchalantly slips in a Vergézois met at the Bar des Sports, Place de la République, the nerve center of the village. And today, the spring is still there“. He is referring to one of the major crises that the spring has experienced. It was in the early 1990s when the Americans announced that they had discovered benzene in sparkling water.

Sylvain, who is in charge of the city's funeral services, doesn't believe it: “Go and try to relocate the source, you, it's there and it will stay there”, he says. “There will always be solutions, wants to believe Mélodie, who runs a real estate agency. A factory like Perrier can't close. There have been health problems elsewhere, but the factories haven't closed down”.

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Nestlé Waters has invested 150 million euros over the last five years

Right next to her, Anthony, also a real estate agent, reminds us that “Perrier is on solid ground, the problem will be solved.” Reacting to the new incident, Nestlé Waters' management recalled that it had invested heavily in the site. No less than “150 million euros over the last five years”. A commitment sufficient to cut the grass under the feet of those who predict the departure of the powerful Swiss agri-food group.

The group is certainly powerful in the town. “It's still important for our town”, reminds, insisting strongly, Pierre, former president of the Vergèze bowling club. You don't have to go very far to take in its full dimension. The Place de la République, the true heart of the small Gard town, is undergoing a complete renovation. According to our information, Nestlé financed the investment up to 60%, “by paying 800,000 euros twice”.

“Perrier has always been part of village life”

At the beginning of the year, the town hall signed a five-year support plan worth 3.5 million euros with the group. An extraordinary asset for the town. “We are 5,800 inhabitants, but we have the facilities of a town of 20,000”, says a resident of Vergèze. “A fortnight ago, we heard about the site being sold to Danone, recalls Fabien, owner of the Bar des Sports. Now, it's this ARS story. We're obviously skeptical”.

During the city council meeting on Tuesday evening, Pascale Fortunat-Deschamps, the mayor of Vergèze, assured that there was nothing new. “The prefect (of Gard, editor's note) told me that there was nothing new since the ARS observations last spring, that there was no additional contamination of the water tables.” And that the final decision should not be made before next spring. Until then, the Vergézois will continue to watch the suffering of the Perrier spring with a certain nonchalance. Because, as Claude says, “Perrier has always been the life of the village.”

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