New EU Drinking Water Directive: improved quality and accessibility
On 16 December 2020, the European Parliament and the Council reached agreement in Strasbourg on the revision of the European Drinking Water Directive. The Directive concerns the quality of water intended for human consumption in Europe.
The previous directive dated from 1998 and was no longer in line with current scientific and societal developments regarding water quality and human health.
Pascal Brysse
Objectives of the revised Drinking Water Directive
The revision aims to improve access to drinking water and to protect human health from the adverse effects of contaminated drinking water by ensuring that it is wholesome and clean.
Key changes
Quality standards
The standards that drinking water quality must meet have been revised and extended. Existing standards have been adjusted (for example for lead and iron) and several new standards have been added (for example for Legionella).
The new Drinking Water Directive also tackles emerging contaminants such as microplastics, PFAS and other types of chemicals. To this end, the European Commission will draw up a ‘watch list’ that will have direct consequences for the monitoring and treatment of drinking water.
Substances and compounds will be added to this list when they are likely to be present in water intended for human consumption and pose a potential risk to health.
Risk-based approach
The new Drinking Water Directive introduces a risk-based approach to ensure the safety of water throughout the supply system.
The risk assessment to be carried out comprises the following elements:
- Article 8: Risk assessment and risk management of the catchment areas for abstraction points of drinking water (to be carried out by 12 July 2027 at the latest);
- Article 9: Risk assessment and risk management of each water supply system, including the abstraction, treatment, storage and distribution of drinking water up to the point of supply (to be carried out by 12 January 2029 at the latest);
- Article 10: Risk assessment of domestic distribution systems (to be carried out by 12 January 2029 at the latest).
Based on these risk assessments, preventive measures will be taken to guarantee the quality of drinking water sources and drinking water.
Materials in contact with drinking water
Stricter quality requirements are being set for materials, treatment chemicals and filter media that come into contact with water intended for human consumption. Substances and chemicals can be released from the materials used for pipes and installation components, and end up in the drinking water.
It is therefore important that the materials used:
- do not directly or indirectly compromise human health;
- do not adversely affect the colour, odour or taste of the water;
- do not enhance microbial growth in the water;
- do not release contaminants into the water at levels higher than necessary for the intended purpose of the material.
To guarantee this, the following will be introduced over the coming years:
- additional methods;
- procedures for testing and accepting permitted starting substances and final materials;
- lists of permitted starting substances.
Access to drinking water
The new Drinking Water Directive introduces two main obligations for Member States to improve access to safe drinking water.
- Member States must ensure that tap water points (both indoor and outdoor) are installed in public spaces;
- the obligation to take all necessary measures to ensure access to drinking water for vulnerable and marginalised groups (in response to the call from the Right2Water European Citizens' Initiative).
Information for consumers
To improve transparency, Member States must ensure that relevant and up-to-date information on drinking water is available to consumers. Member States are also required to provide consumers with specific information once a year (such as volumes consumed, price per litre…) without consumers having to ask for it. This can be done, for example, by including it on invoices.
Leakage
A lack of investment in maintenance and renewal of water infrastructure leads to leakage. To tackle this, Member States must carry out an assessment to map leakage levels in their territory. This serves as the basis for subsequently drawing up a list of possible improvements.
When does the Directive apply?
The European Directive has been in force since 12 January 2021. EU countries must transpose this Directive into national legislation by 12 January 2023 at the latest. At that point, the current 1998 Drinking Water Directive, which still remains in force for now, will be repealed.
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