Certification
The DAkkS-accredited certification activities of SAFE+ Certification GmbH in the field of drinking water include the evaluation guidelines for plastics and other organic materials (KTW-BWGL). This also covers materials such as coatings, lubricants, elastomers, and thermoplastic elastomers that come into contact with drinking water.
The legal regulations for materials in contact with drinking water in Germany have been revised. With the 2nd amendment to the Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV) in December 2012, the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) was tasked with establishing binding evaluation guidelines for materials and products in contact with drinking water. Prior to this change, the Federal Environment Agency had only published guidelines and recommendations, which were not legally binding. Since this amendment to the TrinkwV, these guidelines and recommendations have gradually been converted into binding evaluation guidelines.
Following the revision of the Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV) on 20th June 2023, the mandate of the Federal Environment Agency to establish and maintain these evaluation guidelines remains in place. According to Section 15, Paragraph 2 of the TrinkwV, these evaluation guidelines will become mandatory two years after being established by the Federal Environment Agency. From that date onwards, materials and products used in the construction or maintenance of facilities for the extraction, treatment, and distribution of drinking water must comply with these evaluation guidelines.
An explanatory document with frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding the implementation of these regulatory documents in the certification process is available on the Federal Environment Agency’s website – “Documents” section.