The previous version of the DWD, established in 1998, emphasized the importance of maintaining the quality of drinking water and preventing any adverse health effects.
The European Commission cites the following reasons for the new DWD:
Manufacturers of starting substances now have a clear responsibility to demonstrate and declare purity. Without the right purity declaration, product certification and EU market access are at risk. Act now to stay compliant, avoid delays, and support your customers’ certification process.
Take action today, ensure your purity declarations meet DWD requirements and be future‑ready.
Read our document on general and specific purity requirements. Kiwa helps you comply with the DWD.
The new Drinking Water Directive did not come out of nowhere. It is the recast of the old 1998 DWD, taking the developments of the last decades into account. This includes the EAS and 4MSI results and the Right2Water initiative.
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With the adoption of the article 11 acts by the commission, the next steps for the EU approval system for products in contact with drinking water are shown below. After legal scrutiny and if no objections are raised by European Parliament and Council, the acts will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. 20 days later, they enter into force.
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With the entry into force of the Acts, the current situation of national approvals will transition into the EU system. Starting in 2027, products entering the EU market will need to comply. Products with existing national approvals have until end of 2032 to comply.
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Without water, we couldn’t survive. Ensuring that drinking water is safe, through testing, inspection, and certification, has been part of Kiwa's mission from the very beginning. We spoke to Dirkjan van den Berg, Senior Expert Hygienic Aspects at Kiwa, about the new directive, Kiwa’s long history with water, and why that history matters more than ever today.
During the Korea – German Water Industry Cooperation Seminar at the Novotel München Messe, held alongside the International Trade Fair for Wastewater Technology (IFAT), Kiwa and the Korea Institute for Water Technology Certification (KWTC) formalized their long-standing collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
"Today reminds us that inequalities in access to safe water affect people in different ways, and that water equity extends beyond any single dimension", say Business Unit Managers Jessica Weigert and Annemieke van der Velden. "For us, leading Kiwa’s Water Business in Germany and the Netherlands, diversity is not an abstract value but a lived reality: our teams bring together people from different cultures, backgrounds and personal experiences, including colleagues who know from their own lives what it means not to have reliable access to water."
Kiwa confirms its participation at MCE – Mostra Convegno Expocomfort 2026, a major event for the HVAC+R, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Water sectors. Come to visit us from March 24 to 27, 2026 in Milan, Hall 1 - Stand P18.
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