Assessment of drinking water installations

The quality of drinking water is not only a matter of clean groundwater, but also ensuring the drinking water is not exposed to harmful substances when it is distributed through the supply network all the way until it reaches the tap.

Products (construction products) for the water supply network that are made of polymeric materials such as plastic and rubber must therefore be assessed for whether they emit substances harmful to health before they can be sold in Denmark. Materials used to repair or coat the products must also be assessed.

The Danish authorities require that construction products that are in contact with drinking water undergo a toxicological, i.e. health, assessment.

We offer toxicological assessments for the certification of polymeric materials in drinking water installations, both for the DK-VAND and Godkendt til DrikkeVand (GDV) approval.

Testing of drinking water installations

PVC and PE pipes and fittings, taps, etc. must be assessed for the release of chemical substances or odours and tastes into drinking water. In order to carry out this assessment, the product must be tested according to its chemical composition. The test must be carried out by an accredited testing laboratory.

Based on information about the chemical composition of a product, we put together a product-specific test program for the testing laboratory. Once the test has been carried out, we evaluate the results to clarify whether the product meets the regulatory and toxicological requirements for approval or certification.

Test program

The test program normally includes tests for whether the product releases taste, odor and TOC (Total Organic Carbon) into the drinking water. Products made of, for example, colored rubber that can affect the clarity of the water are also tested for turbidity (cloudiness).

The test also covers the release of substances that can be particularly problematic, such as:

• phthalates from plasticizers
• PAH from the use of the black dye “carbon black”
• degradation products, such as phenols, which can originate from the antioxidants used

DK-VAND certification or GDV approval

There are two types of approval/certification of products intended for contact with drinking water:

• DK-VAND certification, which covers installations from the waterworks supply to the cadastral boundary
• GDV approval, which concerns installations on plots and in buildings, i.e. from the cadastral boundary to the tap

The requirement for a toxicological assessment applies to both DK-VAND and Approved for Drinking Water (GDV) approval. Both GDV and DK-VAND are covered by the transitional arrangement for the new EU Drinking Water Directive, which comes into force from 2027. With the GDV or DK-VAND label obtained by 2026 at the latest, you can legally sell your products until 2033.

We provide the toxicological expertise for your assessment.