Drinking water is our most important food. For us, this is a yardstick and an incentive to handle it carefully and not to endanger the quality of drinking water with unsuitable materials.
The positive list recently published by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) was developed as a concept by four EU member states (4MS concept). It applies to the states: Germany, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Other EU states have joined the concept in modified form (e.g. Portugal). Calculated from the notification by the UBA, a transitional period of 24 months applies until all production materials have to be adapted to the list and all old stockpiles have to be cleaned up.
Since this positive list is not static but will probably be updated continuously, one can continue to expect changes and innovations here.
Drinking water is our most important food. For us, this is a yardstick and an incentive to handle it carefully and not to endanger the quality of drinking water with unsuitable materials.
The positive list recently published by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) was developed as a concept by four EU member states (4MS concept).
The positive list recently published by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) was developed as a concept by four EU member states (4MS concept). It applies to the states: Germany, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Other EU states have joined the concept in modified form (e.g. Portugal). Calculated from the notification by the UBA, a transitional period of 24 months applies until all production materials have to be adapted to the list and all old stockpiles have to be cleaned up.
Since this positive list is not static but will probably be updated continuously, one can continue to expect changes and innovations here.
What is the "UBA list"? - This list of materials lists the metallic materials that are harmless on the basis of drinking water hygiene. It distinguishes between three product groups:
- Pipes (here, the strictest requirements apply according to the current DIN 50930 Part6 ("Drinking Water Ordinance", as these make up by far the largest area of the installation system with direct contact to the drinking water)[Since this standard already no longer offers sufficient safety with regard to the restriction of the nickel limit value of 20µg/l, it is to be expected that there will be further revisions here in the future] ;
- Fittings, pipe connectors, apparatus and pumps;
- Components in pumps, apparatus and fittings whose surface area in contact with water does not exceed 10% of the total component area (the greatest "variety of materials" is permitted here).
This now further specifies the previous requirements of the Drinking Water Ordinance, because it lists the metallic materials that are harmless and therefore suitable
to meet the hygienic requirements in contact with drinking water when taking into account the usual operating and installation conditions. The complete UBA list can be found on the UBA website.
Sampling based on the UBA recommendations can provide information on the respective drinking water quality with regard to the lead, copper and nickel content.
For decades, the harmful effect of lead as a component of e.g. lead pipes has been known. It is also known that nickel, for example, can dissolve inside fittings - as a component of the chrome plating - during the stagnation periods of the water and pass into the drinking water. So this is not a new topic! However, health is so important that the prerequisites for safe drinking water have now been re-examined and regulated. The latest technical developments and possibilities are now being used in the interest of drinking water hygiene.
The use of suitable brass alloys as well as the renunciation of internal chrome plating guarantees harmless pipes, pipe connectors, fittings etc.. Components in brass alloys which are unavoidable and may be contained with a mass fraction of more than 0.02% must be specified for the listed materials. The manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that even with regard to the unavoidable components of the brass alloy he uses with a mass fraction of less than 0.02%, no drinking water hazard emanates from his products.
In addition to various new alloys and common alloys whose components are more restricted, the following brass alloys, which are also used by puteus GmbH, are also suitable materials for drinking water hygiene: CW617N (CuZn40Pb2) and CW612N (CuZn39Pb2), which may be used for product groups B) and C).
| Alloy constituents (% (m/m)): | ||||
| Cu | Zn | Pb | ||
| 57.0% - 60.0% | Remainder | 1.6% - 2.2% | ||
| Unavoidable accompanying elements (% (m/m)): | ||||
| Al | Fe | Ni | Si | Sn |
| ≤ 0.05% | ≤ 0.3% | ≤ 0.1% | ≤ 0.03% | ≤ 0.3% |
For product group C), the following are also possible: CW614N (CuZn39Pb3) and CW603N (CuZn36Pb3).
| Alloy components (% (m/m)): | ||||
| Cu | Zn | Pb | ||
| 57.0% - 62.0% | Remainder | 2.5% - 3.5% | ||
| Unavoidable accompanying elements (% (m/m)): | ||||
| Al | Fe | Ni | Si | Sn |
| ≤ 0.05% | ≤ 0.3% | ≤ 0.2% | ≤ 0.03% | ≤ 0.3% |
The brass alloy CW602N can cause lead values to be exceeded at certain drinking water qualities. The brass alloy CW602N can cause lead levels in the water to exceed drinking water quality limits. Therefore, this alloy is not included in the "UBA list".
If products made of this material are installed, it must be ensured by regular sampling that the lead values in the drinking water are not higher than permitted in the installation situation in question.
The specialist tradesman must ensure that the lead values in the drinking water are not exceeded.
The specialist tradesman, in turn, is responsible for ensuring that he provides his customers with a flawless service that complies with the current rules of technology and uses products that are suitable and hygienically safe. He must therefore check his own stock and, if necessary, ask his manufacturer or supplier whether the requirements of the UBA list are implemented for all new deliveries. Any remaining stock that can no longer be properly classified as UBA-compliant should only be installed in heating pipes if this is possible.
Returning products that are no longer suitable to the supplier is generally not possible if the order and delivery took place before the new regulation came into force.
Puteus GmbH guarantees its customers, the specialist trade and thus also the end consumer a production that has long been converted on the basis of the Drinking Water Ordinance and the UBA positive list. We use materials that comply with the latest specifications for all products that are used in the drinking water sector according to their function. Even the gaskets we use for these fittings, valves and fittings, if applicable, have KTW approvals and comply with DVGW worksheet W270. Our products can therefore be used safely in the drinking water sector.
In addition, we have also modified our hose fittings and garden fittings, for example, accordingly. The same applies to our ball valves, unless these or other products are clearly assigned to the heating sector.
However, we always hear the argument that these items are for garden watering and not for drinking water and that we should separate them and offer them in two qualities in order to achieve price advantages.
At this point we would like to point out that it is not foreseeable for us as a manufacturer and supplier of the specialised wholesale trade or industry where our product will ultimately be used. As a company that puts our products on the market, we do not want to be responsible for consumers being harmed because we want to calculate economically and the consumer ends up installing the garden tap - perhaps with a brass hose fitting to regulate the flow - in their garden shed and tapping their drinking water there!
Drinking water is our most important foodstuff - therefore we feel obliged to take full account of the associated hygienic requirements! Without discussion and exceptions!
(As of Oct.2014)
Sources: UBA Recommendation 2013-Information July2014; IKZ-Interview 1/2/2014; Dr. Ockerfeld: "Auswahl mithilfe einer Liste [...]/ Deutsches Kupferinstitut; aus: IKZ.de/Oct.2013; www.nickelfrei.de (Das Gesundheitsportal für Nickelallergiker); www.dvgw.de/fileadmin/dvgw/wasser/installation/frenz_rapp_trinkwasser.pdf)