How to comply with new EU law on lead in drinking water

Access to safe, clean drinking water must never be taken for granted. Reflecting water’s importance to individual health, wider society and the economy, the European Commission recently reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding water quality by updating the 1998 Drinking Water Directive (DWD) and introducing a related EU Positive List.Grounded in the latest scientific evidence, the updates will reduce contamination in drinking water across the EU, raising water standards and futureproofing public access to this precious resource. With implications for every level of the water industry, all organizations involved have a pivotal role to play in achieving the EU’s latest objective. 

Using the latest scientific recommendations as a guide, the European Commission’s updates to the DWD focus primarily on materials that come into contact with drinking water. The changes introduce up-to-date quality standards for microbiological, chemical, and indicator parameters, including new requirements for lead concentration in water at the tap. Implementation of the DWD 2020/2184 has been mandatory for EU states since January 2023 and the new parameters must be met by January 2036. 

The principal changes to the DWD involve Article 11 and include stricter standards for all materials in contact with drinking water. Most notably, permissible levels of lead have been halved from the current maximum of 10 µg/L at the tap to 5 µg/L. 

Strengthening these updates to Article 11, the European Chemicals Agency has established an EU Positive List that comes into force in December 2026. This list mandates hygiene requirements for water-contact materials like pipes and fittings, working in conjunction with Article 11 to safeguard water from source to tap. The list specifies that these materials must demonstrate a maximum of 0.1% weight/weight for lead in lead-containing alloys such as brass, bronze and gunmetal. 

New products will be required to comply with the list from December 2026, with new hallmarks expected to reach the market in 2028. These logos specifically address drinking water requirements and will therefore augment, rather than replace, many existing quality marks. Existing products have until 2032 to conform, meaning current certifications, national hygiene tests, registration on the UBA list and, recognized hallmarks like DVGW, KIWA and IIP, all remain valid until then - unless member states decide otherwise.  

For EU Member States, attention is now turning to the development of appropriate action plans to ensure compliance with the updated DWD by 2036. These plans will be extensive, covering the replacement of pipes and fittings, information initiatives targeting consumers and time to test and monitor drinking water outputs before the new 5 µg/L limit comes into force. 

Recognizing the importance of the Directive, some States are already pledging their commitment to expediting the changes. Germany, for example, will incorporate the new limits into the country’s ‘Trinkwasser Verordnung’ from January 2028. 

At Orbia Building &Infrastructure (Wavin), we support the EU’s vision and are committed to helping to deliver the highest standard of drinking water. We’re therefore taking a proactive approach to the DWD changes and are already transitioning to 100% lead-free brass fittings and fixtures across a range of markets. 

As part of this evolution, we’re moving from CW617N and CW625N brass to CW724R – a DZR brass that’s lead-free (< 0,1 % w/w), dezincification resistant and approved in the new European Positive List. Phased release has already begun, with CW724R products currently available in Germany, Nordic regions, the UK and Ireland, with other EU regions set to follow shortly.  

For customers working on projects that can take years to progress from ideation to construction, these product uplifts mean compliance with upcoming DWD standards is already guaranteed across Wavin’s suite of drinking water products. Plus, to advance our goal of a more sustainable water industry, these products will have accompanying EPDs from later this year.

We’re proud to embrace the new standards and look forward to working with customers and stakeholders to promote safe and sustainable drinking water for generations to come. Take a look at our comprehensive FAQ sheet to find out more about the DWD changes and how we’re working to safeguard water through our market-leading products.