Drinking water to become safer thanks to new EU-wide hygiene standards for materials and products in contact with water

The Commission adopted new minimum hygiene standards for materials and products that come into contact with drinking water. They will apply as of 31 December 2026 to materials and products used in new installations, or when older installations are renovated or repaired. These standards will prevent microbial growth and reduce the risk of harmful substances leaching into drinking water.

The new standards will apply to materials and products intended to be used in new installations for the abstraction, treatment, storage, or distribution of water, or repair works, such as supply pipes, valves, pumps, water meters, fittings, and taps. This will make water safer to drink and will reduce the administrative burden for companies that produce the relevant materials and products, as well as for national authorities.

There has been little harmonization across the EU, and producers were obliged to seek different approvals in each Member State where they wished to sell their products. The new rules will also simplify the approval work previously carried out by each national authority.

Materials and products that comply with the new EU standards will receive an EU declaration of conformity and an EU-specific marking. The product can therefore be sold across the EU without any restrictions linked to possible public health or environmental concerns.