Cologne, 26.04.2023
Certifiers DVGW CERT and Kiwa and German water and gas sector association figawa will work together on the development and management of a database for raw materials used in products and equipment for drinking water. This Raw Materials Database should shorten the approval process of raw materials, which saves manufacturers costs and importantly reduces the time to market.
Safe drinking water is a basic necessity and the safety and quality of drinking water must therefore be guaranteed at all times. The use of non-approved materials in the production of pipes, meters and fittings, for example, can lead to harmful substances entering the drinking water, which can lead to health problems. The EU is therefore working on uniform legislation in this area. To this end, the Drinking Water Directive was published on 23 December 2020. EU member states will soon transpose the directive into national law and take measures to comply with the new requirements.
Properties and toxicity
In line with this new legislation, DVGW CERT, figawa and Kiwa are introducing the Raw Materials Database. This contains verified key information about the composition and properties of raw materials used in products for drinking water applications, the standards and regulations that the raw material must comply with and which certification bodies have tested the raw material.
Faster conformity assessments
By consulting the Raw Materials Database, manufacturers can more quickly and effectively select raw materials for their products that meet relevant laws and regulations and quality standards. This can considerably reduce the time required for the conformity assessment of new products. Currently, manufacturers who develop a new drinking water product often go through an extensive trajectory of migration tests in which all raw materials used are examined to what extent they affect the water quality. This process can take up to two years. If the Raw Materials Database is fully operational, this lead time is significantly shortened and risks of non-compliant materials will strongly be reduced.
Introduction at ISH Frankfurt
DVGW CERT, figawa and Kiwa showed a first demo of the Raw Materials Database at the ISH trade fair, last month in Frankfurt, and are currently transferring approval documents to the database. A number of major raw material manufacturers have already agreed to cooperate with the database. The Raw Materials Database is expected to be ready in the third quarter of 2023 and will be accessible to manufacturers and other users from the end of this year or early 2024.
In the meantime, visit www.drinkingwaterapprovals.com for more information.