NSF gains drinking water accreditation as EU tightens rules

Brussels — Standards and certification organisation NSF has been accredited by the Belgian Accreditation Body (BELAC) under ISO/IEC 17065 to conduct conformity assessment activities under the EU's revised Drinking Water Directive (DWD).

The accreditation is a prerequisite for NSF to become a notified body under the new European Minimum Hygiene Requirements (EU-MHR) framework.

Once designated, the organisation will be able to certify products when the new regime takes effect in January 2027, said NSF 21 July.

The new rules replace a patchwork of national approval schemes, including Germany's UBA guidelines and France's ACS, with a single EU-wide system covering materials and products that come into contact with drinking water.

In response to an ERJ query, NSF explained that rubber compounds and elastomer components used in drinking water systems will increasingly need to comply with a new harmonised EU certification regime.

The requirements apply to elastomeric components including seals, gaskets, O-rings and diaphragms used in valves, pumps, fittings, water meters, tanks and domestic plumbing systems, NSF told ERJ.

For the rubber industry, the implications extend beyond finished products, according to the certification body.

"Formulations and starting substances will need to align with the relevant EU positive lists," NSF said.

Finished elastomer components may also be subject to harmonised migration and performance testing to demonstrate they do not release substances into drinking water above permitted limits.

Under the new framework, NSF explained, “even relatively small components can create compliance risk if their materials or formulation are not supported by the required documentation and testing.”

“The practical significance for the rubber sector is that elastomer materials used in drinking-water applications will increasingly need to be assessed as part of the overall EU DWD/EU-MHR conformity pathway ahead of the 1 January 2027 application date,” it added.

The changes will therefore affect compounders, component manufacturers, raw material suppliers and OEMs supplying drinking-water contact products to the European market.

Also relevant to the rubber industry is NSF’s recently introduced Protocol 534 (P534), which enables suppliers of raw materials, ingredients, pre-products and intermediate products to demonstrate compliance earlier in the supply chain.

The protocol can help reduce the risk that elastomer formulations create downstream certification issues for finished drinking-water products.

Commenting on the upcoming regulatory change, NSF said that products holding valid national certificates on 31 Dec 2026 can continue to be sold until the end of 2032, provided there are no changes affecting product composition or performance.

"Europe's move to harmonised hygiene requirements is one of the most significant regulatory shifts in the drinking water sector in decades," said Vincent Boks, vice president of water at NSF.

With the new DWD accreditation, NSF said it is ready to deliver "a one-stop solution" that helps manufacturers prepare for the 2027 deadline and throughout the transition period to 2032.

The certification body also warned that more than 600 substances on the EU positive list are due to expire in 2028, while increased demand for testing could put pressure on European laboratory capacity as manufacturers prepare for the new regulatory framework.