News & InsightsNewsletterLegislation Hub

Foresight

Foresight
AboutContactLog in
Book a Demo
Foresight logo
All News & Insights

New EU Guidelines for Drinking Water Safety

General
16
January 2025
•
400
Dr Steven Brennan
Discover the new EU guidelines for drinking water safety, ensuring public health through stringent testing and approval processes.
Tap water in glass
Quick prompts

AI Generated

Get to the point quicker with prompts - a smarter way to get the information you need from our articles.

Summarise this article

The European Chemicals Agency has introduced new guidelines under the Drinking Water Directive to enhance the safety of materials in contact with drinking water. Effective January 2025, these guidelines ensure rigorous testing and approval processes to protect public health across the EU.

What are the new EU guidelines for drinking water safety?

The new EU guidelines under the Drinking Water Directive focus on testing and approving materials in contact with drinking water. They aim to protect public health by ensuring that all substances meet stringent safety standards before being included in the European positive list.

How do the new guidelines affect manufacturers?

Manufacturers must comply with the new guidelines by submitting detailed applications to the ECHA, covering the identity, composition, and intended use of substances. This ensures transparency and accountability in the approval of materials used in drinking water systems.

AI Assistant

This feature and much more is available on our platform. If you would like early access, please leave your email and we'll get in touch.

We'll be in touch when the Assistant is ready.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Mountains

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has released new guidelines under the Drinking Water Directive (DWD) to enhance the safety of materials in contact with drinking water. Effective January 2025, these guidelines aim to protect public health by regulating the testing and approval of substances used in water supply systems across the European Union.

Understanding the New Guidelines

The updated guidelines, detailed in the DWD Guidance Volume I, focus on the methodologies for testing starting substances, compositions, and constituents intended for use in materials that come into contact with drinking water. These guidelines are part of the broader effort to ensure that all materials meet stringent safety standards before being included in the European positive list (EUPL).

Key Changes and Requirements

The guidelines introduce comprehensive testing methodologies, including the assessment of physico-chemical properties, toxicological data, and migration potential of substances. A significant emphasis is placed on identifying relevant chemical species and assessing their potential risks to human health. The guidelines also require detailed reporting of the intended use of substances, including their technical function and concentration in materials.

Focus on Safety and Compliance

The guidelines mandate that all toxicological data be submitted in a robust study summary format, ensuring that the information is sufficient for conducting risk assessments. The ECHA requires that at least one key study or an acceptable adaptation rule be provided for each standard information requirement. This ensures that all materials are thoroughly evaluated for safety before approval.

Implications for Manufacturers

Manufacturers seeking approval for their products must adhere to these guidelines, which include submitting detailed applications to the ECHA. The applications must cover the identity, composition, and intended use of the substances, along with any existing EU or national-level authorisations. This process ensures transparency and accountability in the approval of materials used in drinking water systems.

Addressing Non-Intentionally Added Species (NIAS)

The guidelines also address the issue of non-intentionally added species (NIAS), which may form during the processing or use of materials. Manufacturers are required to identify and report any NIAS that might migrate into drinking water, ensuring that all potential risks are assessed and mitigated.

Read the source story

Read this article now for free!

You have read 3 articles.
Create a free account
or
Log in
to finish reading this article now.

Subscribe to our weekly digest

Sign up to receive our newsletter every Tuesday and get access to all of our content.

By creating an account, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
This is some text inside of a div block.

Trusted by professionals at

Dupont
ECHA - European Chemicals Agency
Energizer
Chemours
This is some text inside of a div block.

Get Foresight Today

Stay compliant, reduce risk, and protect your business with our AI-powered chemical policy monitoring—tailored just for you.

Global monitoring of 1,200+ sources
Expert-reviewed, trusted regulatory alerts
Instant risk identification for 350k+ substances

Ready to supercharge your policy monitoring workflow?

We’ll be in touch soon with more details and support to help you get started.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Share with a friend
Copy link

Related Articles

EU flag outside buildingProvisional Agreement on EU Chemicals Assessment Reform to Streamline Compliance and Boost Transparency

June 13, 2025

Man with industrial cleaning chemcialsTaiwan Bans Import of Cleaning Agents with Nonylphenol and Ethoxylates

June 13, 2025

Packaged foodSwitzerland Bans BPA and Hazardous Bisphenols in Food Contact Materials

June 12, 2025

Foresight regulatory experts
Streamline your chemical compliance
Easy-to-use product compliance management for small and mid-sized manufacturers — mitigate risk and protect market access.
Get started
Subscribe to Foresight's newsletter
Stay ahead with the latest news & insights
Join 1,000s of compliance professionals getting the latest insights right to their inbox for free, every Tuesday.
100% free. No spam. Unsubscribe any time.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Stay ahead with the latest news & insights
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter covering news, events, and expert insights.

Related articles

EU flag outside building

Provisional Agreement on EU Chemicals Assessment Reform to Streamline Compliance and Boost Transparency

EU agrees on a chemicals assessment reform to streamline compliance and boost transparency. Learn what this means for manufacturers and regulators.

13

Jun 2025

General
Man with industrial cleaning chemcials

Taiwan Bans Import of Cleaning Agents with Nonylphenol and Ethoxylates

Taiwan restricts Nonylphenol (NP) and NPEO in cleaning agents. Find out how this policy affects chemical compliance, imports, and product reformulations.

13

Jun 2025

General
Packaged food

Switzerland Bans BPA and Hazardous Bisphenols in Food Contact Materials

Switzerland bans BPA in food contact materials from July 2025. Learn what this means for compliance across the manufacturing and packaging sectors.

12

Jun 2025

General
Foresight
Providing critical insights, analysis, and guidance to help businesses anticipate changes, make informed decisions, and stay ahead.
News & Insights
Newsletter
Legislation Hub
Coverage
Contact
About
© 2025 Foresight. All rights reserved.
SitemapTerms of servicePrivacy policyCookie policy