Quality of water intended for human consumption. Recast

The European Parliament adopted, by 300 votes to 98 with 274 abstentions, amendments to the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the quality of water intended for human consumption (recast).

The matter was referred back to the committee responsible for interinstitutional negotiations.

The main amendments to the Commission proposal adopted in plenary concern the following points:

Objective: the proposed Directive shall protect human health from the adverse effects of any contamination of water intended for human consumption by ensuring that it is wholesome and clean, and to promote universal access to water intended for human consumption.

The measures taken to implement the Directive shall be in accordance with the precautionary principle.

Access to water for all: following Parliament's resolution on the citizens' initiative Right2Water (‘Water: a human right’), which called on the Union to step up its efforts to achieve universal access to water, Member States shall improve access to water for vulnerable and marginalised groups without compromising the supply of universally affordable, high-quality water.

In particular, Member States shall take measures to:

• identify people with limited access to drinking water, assess opportunities and take measures to improve access for those people and inform them of the possibilities of connecting to a distribution network or alternative means of access to water intended for human consumption;
• improve water access, such as setting up free fountains in cities and public places, where technically feasible and proportionate;
• ensuring the free provision of such water in administrations and public buildings;
• encourage tap water to be provided in restaurants, canteens and catering services for free or for a low service fee;
• launch campaigns to encourage the general public to carry reusable water bottles and launching initiatives to raise awareness of the location of refill point.

Risk-based approach: the risk-based approach shall consist of three components:

• first, an assessment by the Member State of the hazard associated with the abstraction area , in line with the WHO’s Guidelines and Water Safety Plan Manual;
• second, a possibility for the water supplier to adapt monitoring to the main risks;
• third, an assessment by the Member State of the possible risks stemming from domestic distribution systems (e.g. Legionella or lead), with special focus on priority premises such as hospitals, retirement homes, schools or nurseries.

Member States shall ensure a clear and appropriate distribution of responsibilities between stakeholders, as defined by the Member States, for the application of the risk-based approach according to their national institutional and legal framework.

Drinking water quality parameters: legislation shall introduce new chemical parameters or groups of parameters, to tighten the maximum limits for certain pollutants such as lead (to be reduced by half), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), harmful bacteria, and introduce new caps for endocrine disruptors Bisphenol A and Beta-estradiol (50-28-2). It also monitors levels of microplastics, an emerging concern.

Surveillance: with regard to the regular monitoring, Member States shall ensure access to installations in priority premises for the purposes of sampling and may set up a monitoring strategy, in particular as regards Legionella pneumophila, which are responsible for the majority of cases of legionnaire's disease in the Union.

The Commission may adopt delegated acts to supplement this Directive by establishing maximum levels for microplastics, medicinal products and other newly occurring pollutants in water intended for human consumption.