The EU Drinking Water Directive (EU 2020/2184) sets minimum safety and hygiene standards for water intended for human consumption, including materials and products that come into contact with drinking water. Its primary objective is to ensure that substances used in these materials do not compromise water quality or public health.
On 5 January 2026, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced that companies and economic operators can begin submitting Notifications of Intention under the directive. This marks a critical step in helping regulators identify which substances will be evaluated for use in drinking water contact materials.
A significant number of substances may require assessment under the directive. However, ECHA and EU Member States currently lack visibility into which substances companies plan to submit. This uncertainty can create challenges in workload planning, potentially leading to evaluation delays, regulatory bottlenecks, and duplication of efforts where multiple companies prepare separate dossiers for the same substance.
To address these challenges, early preparation is essential.
Companies should identify all materials and substances used in products that come into contact with drinking water and assess whether they fall within the scope of the directive. Early submission of Notifications of Intention enables regulators to better anticipate workload and streamline evaluations. Organizations should also begin compiling technical data and explore joint submissions to minimize duplication and optimize resources.
To support this process, companies can use the ECHA Industry Portal to indicate substances they intend to keep, add, or remove from the European Positive Lists. Notifications must be prepared in the IUCLID format, ensuring standardized and consistent data submission across the EU.
ECHA has also published key resources to guide notifiers, including:
- A manual: How to Prepare a Drinking Water Directive Notification of Intention
- A dedicated guidance document: DWD Guidance Volume IV
- A video tutorial on generating IUCLID dossiers
Companies are strongly encouraged to review these materials before submission to avoid errors and delays.
Once a Notification of Intention is submitted, companies have 12 months to prepare and submit their full application. From January 2027, applications to amend the European Positive Lists can be formally submitted.
Submitting Notifications of Intention offers clear benefits for both regulators and industry. It improves transparency, supports better workload planning, and reduces duplication of effort. Most importantly, it strengthens consumer protection by ensuring that substances used in drinking water contact materials are properly evaluated, increasing public confidence in water safety.
ECHA’s request for Notifications of Intention under the EU Drinking Water Directive represents a significant step toward harmonizing EU requirements for drinking water contact materials. By introducing an early notification phase, the framework enhances transparency, improves regulatory efficiency, and ensures smoother compliance processes.
ComplianceXL supports companies in navigating these requirements through regulatory monitoring, substance identification, and preparation of technical documentation for successful submissions.
FAQs:
1.What is the purpose of the Notification of Intention?
The notification of intention informs the European Chemicals Agency that a company plans to submit a full application to add or remove a substance from the EU positive lists for materials that come into contact with drinking water.
2.Is the Notification of Intention the same as a full application?
No. The notification is a preliminary step. A full application containing complete technical and scientific data must be submitted at a later stage.
3.Where should notifications be submitted?
Notifications must be submitted electronically through the ECHA Industry Portal using the required data format.
