A guideline was published recently with the aim of mapping out the impact of plant protection products, biocidal products and their transformation products on the production of drinking water. For the drinking water sector, this guidance document means that, before they can market new products, manufacturers will be required to demonstrate that the products do not pose a danger to drinking water production.
“It is very welcome that the EU is taking the initiative to protect the quality of drinking water – and therefore our health – with guidance like this,” thinks KWR researcher Roberta Hofman. She co-authored the document, which is more than 100 pages long: ‘Guidance document on the impact of water treatment processes on residues of active substances or their metabolites in water abstracted for the production of drinking water’. KWR drafted the guideline in collaboration with IWW Water Centre, KWR’s German counterpart, for the European Commission.
Drinking water treatment
New plant protection products and biocidal products are required to be tested for potential harm to humans and the environment before they go on the market. But when they are used on the land after approval, these agents can leach into surface water or seep into groundwater. There is then a possibility that they may enter sources of drinking water. If they do so, the transformation products of some substances may be formed during subsequent water treatment. How can drinking water producers be sure that substances of this kind will not affect the health of their customers?
