Drinking Water Directive - 'Well meant is not always well made'

Article by Claus Wrana, Compounds AG, Pfäffikon, Switzerland- supplied via German rubber industry association the WDK:

Elastomer components in contact with drinking water are facing increasingly complex regulatory requirements. The introduction of the KTW-Bewertungsgrundlage (2025) and the European Drinking Water Directive (DWD, 2027) creates new challenges for manufacturers.

The DWD enters into force on 1 January 2027, with the aim of harmonising what has so far been a patchwork of national regulations and ensuring a uniform level of consumer protection across the EU.

A central element of both frameworks is the positive list: a register of which substances may be used in vulcanised rubber components, and the maximum concentrations at which these substances, and their reaction products, may be present in drinking water.

While the two lists share a broadly similar structure, the differences between the national requirements and the future European regulation are, in places, rather more significant than one might hope.

Of particular concern is the introduction of an expiry date for listed substances: individual components are approved only until 2028 or 2031, after which reapproval must be sought, supported by comprehensive toxicological evidence.

This poses considerable challenges for the industry: adding a new substance to the positive list is a slow and costly process, and one that holds little appeal for chemical manufacturers operating on a global scale.

Unless the procedure changes, compliant compounds will become unavailable for the European market within the foreseeable future...

Read the full paper here