Beulco: New EU Drinking Water Directive – challenges and opportunities for manufacturers and users

New EU Drinking Water Directive and Positive List of Materials: Stricter lead limits and lead-free materials – challenges and opportunities for manufacturers and users

The European Commission is committed to continuing to ensure the supply of high-quality drinking water, taking into account the latest scientific recommendations. Therefore, the European Drinking Water Directive (TWR) 2020 was revised. The new revised TWR 2020/2184 came into force in 2021 and was to be implemented in all EU member states by January 12, 2023.

The update of the Drinking Water Directive mainly focuses on materials that come into contact with drinking water. The changes relate to current quality standards for microbiological, chemical and indicator parameters. These include new requirements for lead concentration. The permissible lead concentration has been reduced from the current 10 µg/l at the tap to 5 µg/l. These parameters must be met by January 2036. Germany has decided to incorporate the new parameters into the Drinking Water Ordinance already, so that the values will become mandatory from 2028, and only components that come into contact with drinking water and are made of such a material may be sold and installed.

In addition, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has created an EU positive list of materials. This list defines hygiene requirements for products that come into contact with water, such as pipes and fittings, and works in conjunction with Article 11 of the Drinking Water Directive. The list specifies which materials can be used.

With the introduction of the new EU positive list of materials, the EU is taking a significant step towards ensuring drinking water hygiene. This list includes numerous materials and products for use in drinking water systems and aims to protect water quality and consumer health.

Both regulations work together to reduce the lead content in materials and drinking water.

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What does this mean for distributors and customers?

BEULCO recommends that affected companies adjust their product portfolio of corresponding products by the end of 2026. This enables a timely conversion to compliant materials and provides sufficient leeway to offer compliant products for installation by 2028. For many companies, this means a fundamental revision of their product range and production processes. The changeover to lead-free materials is not only necessary to comply with the regulations, but also puts the companies placing the products on the market in a future-proof position, especially with regard to possible future regulations that could assess lead limits and mass fractions even more strictly.

From 1 January 2028, only compliant products may be installed in the installations. From 2026, new approval seals are expected to come onto the market, which will supplement or replace the existing seals such as DVGW and KIWA.

In response to these developments, BEULCO started to switch to the lead-free material CW724R (Cuphin/ Ecobrass) and to adapt its product range accordingly more than 10 years ago. In 2026, the entire portfolio of products for applications in contact with drinking water will consist of lead-free alternatives. In addition to CW724R, other lead-free alloys and alternatives are also being tested.

The conversion to lead-free materials is of the utmost urgency in view of the stricter EU regulations. Companies that do not meet the new limit values in time risk not only considerable legal and financial consequences, but also a competitive disadvantage. Compliance with the new requirements requires an early adaptation of the production processes and a strategic realignment of the product portfolio.

BEULCO provides comprehensive information on this topic on its website and is available to assist both distributors and users of products containing lead with its expertise.

EU legislation | The significance for the lead processing industry | BEULCO