Drinking water — essential quality standards

SUMMARY OF:

Directive (EU) 2020/2184 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (recast)

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

It seeks to introduce revised rules to protect human health from the contamination of water intended for human consumption by ensuring that it is ‘wholesome and clean’, It also seeks to introduce hygienic requirements for materials in contact with drinking water, such as pipes, as well as:

improve access to water intended for human consumption;
introduce a cost-effective risk-based approach to monitoring water quality.

KEY POINTS

Water intended for human consumption is defined as:

all water, either in its original state or after treatment, intended for drinking, cooking, food preparation or other domestic purposes in both public and private premises, regardless of its origin and whether it is supplied from a distribution network, supplied from a tanker or put into bottles or containers, including spring waters;
all water used in any food business for the manufacture, processing, preservation or marketing of products or substances intended for human consumption.

Exemptions from the directive

The directive does not apply to:

natural mineral waters (but not spring water) as referred to in Directive 2009/54/EC (see summary); or
waters which are medicinal products as defined in Directive 2001/83/EC (see summary).

In addition, EU countries may exempt:

water intended exclusively for those purposes for which authorities are satisfied that quality has no influence, either directly or indirectly, on consumer health;
water for human consumption from an individual supply providing an average of less than 10 m³ a day or serving fewer than 50 persons, unless the water is supplied as part of a commercial or public activity.

Maritime vessels that desalinate water, carry passengers and act as water suppliers are not subject to some aspects of the directive, including treatment chemicals and filters.

Water-quality standards

EU countries must ensure that water intended for human consumption is ‘wholesome and clean’. It must be free from any micro-organisms and parasites and from any substances which, in numbers or concentrations, are a potential danger to human health. Specifically, it must meet the following minimum requirements.

Microbiological parameters. Water must be completely free from:
- Intestinal enterococci; and
- E.coli;
Chemical parameters. Quantities of chemical substances must not exceed the following values (Note: g/l = grammes per litre, mg/l = milligrammes per litre, and μg/l = microgrammes per litre):
- Acrylamide 0.10 μg/l
- Antimony 10 μg/l
- Arsenic 10 μg/l
- Benzene 1.0 μg/l
- Benzo(a)pyrene 0.010 μg/l
- Bisphenol A 2.5 μg/l
- Boron 1.5 mg/l
- Bromate 10 μg/l
- Cadmium 5.0 μg/l
- Chlorate 0.25 mg/l
- Chlorite 0.25 mg/l
- Chromium 25 μg/l
- Copper 2.0 mg/l
- Cyanide 50 μg/l
- 1,2-dichloroethane 3.0 μg/l
- Epichlorohydrin 0.10 μg/l
- Fluoride 1.5 mg/l
- Haloacetic acids (HAAs) 60 μg/l
- Lead 5 μg/l
- Mercury 1.0 μg/l
- Microcystin-LR 1.0 μg/l
- Nickel 20 μg/l
- Nitrate 50 mg/l
- Nitrite 0.50 mg/l
- Pesticides 0.10 μg/l
- Pesticides total 0.50 μg/l
- PFAS total 0.50 μg/l
- Sum of PFAS 0.10 μg/l
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 0.10 μg/l
- Selenium 20 μg/l
- Tetrachloroethene and Trichloroethene 10 μg/l
- Trihalomethanes total 100 μg/l
- Uranium 30 μg/l
- Vinyl chloride 0,50 μg/l.
Parameters relevant for the risk assessment of domestic distribution systems (e.g. pipework, tanks). These are:
- Legionella < 1,000 CFU*/l
- Lead 10 μg/l.
Indicator parameters. This includes the presence of aggressive or corrosive agents. If these are above the limits set out in the directive, EU countries must assess whether this non-compliance poses any risk to human health and take remedial action.

EU countries must also comply with the directive’s other rules.

Risk assessment

EU countries ensure that risk assessment and risk management of the catchment areas for abstraction points of drinking water and the supply systems are carried out, as well as a risk assessment of domestic distribution systems, and whether the potential risks affect the quality of water, including identifying hazards in the system and applying control measures.

Materials coming into contact with drinking water

EU countries ensure that materials used for water abstraction, treatment, storage or distribution coming into contact with water do not:

directly or indirectly compromise human health;
adversely affect the water’s colour, odour or taste;
enhance microbial growth;
leach contaminants into the water at higher levels than considered necessary for the intended purpose of the material.

Additional testing methodologies and procedures for accepting authorised starting substances and final materials (by 12 January 2024), as well as lists of authorised starting substances (by 12 January 2025) will be phased in.

Access, information, monitoring and evaluation

EU countries must:

improve or maintain access to drinking water for all, in particular for vulnerable and marginalised groups;
ensure that adequate, up-to-date information on drinking water is available;
set up by 12 January 2029 a data set of measures taken to improve access to and promote the use of water intended for human consumption;
set up by 12 July 2027 a data set of risk assessment and risk management and monitoring of the catchment areas for water abstraction points;
set up data sets of water-quality monitoring results, incidents and any derogations granted.

The European Commission will carry out an evaluation of the directive by 12 January 2035 and, in the meantime, review the microbial and chemical standards as well as monitoring, sampling and risk-assessment procedures, at least every 5 years.

Repeal

The directive recasts and repeals Directive 98/83/EC and its subsequent amendments (see summary) as of 12 January 2023.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?

It has applied since 12 January 2021 and has to become law in EU countries by 12 January 2023 (some aspects by 12 January 2026).

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

The revised drinking water directive (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

CFU (colony-forming unit): a unit used in microbiology to estimate the number of viable bacteria or fungal cells in a sample. Viable is defined as the ability to multiply via binary fission under controlled conditions.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (recast) (OJ L 435, 23.12.2020, pp. 1-62)