Is it true that pesticides have poisoned our tap water, making it unsafe to drink?

Water protection takes a very high priority in EU policy-making with regard to pesticides. Before any pesticide can be sold, safety must be proven to the satisfaction of EU and national authorities. Companies must aim to develop products that do not appear in ground and surface water when used correctly by the farmer. In fact, the level of pesticides legally allowed in drinking water in the EU is equivalent to one in ten billion.

To give you an idea of how small an amount this is, it is the equivalent of four millimetres of the entire length of the equator.