EU Drinking Water Directive Research Articles

Charting water quality improvements and practice reversion with pesticide interventions at catchment scale.

Freshwater quality, and the impacts of farming practice on drinking water supplies, are of concern in many countries and time-limited catchment management interventions are commonly used to improve water quality. However, ending such schemes may result in practice reversion. This study adopts an interdisciplinary approach combining evidence from water quality monitoring data with a behavioural study of farmers to explore changes in land use practice with reference to the pesticide MCPA (2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid) following a catchment-based management scheme delivered in the cross-border Derg catchment in Northern Ireland/Ireland between 2018 and 2021. Analysis of over 10,000 water samples demonstrated that, compared to the Finn (Control), the scheme achieved a 15.2% and a 5.5% reduction in the frequency with which MCPA concentrations in the Derg (Treatment) exceeded the total (0.5μgL-1) and individual (0.1μgL-1) EU Drinking Water Directive limits for treated drinking water respectively. The post-intervention flow-weighted mean concentration (FWMC) of MCPA for Peak usage season (April-October) was 19% lower than pre-intervention in the Derg when compared to the Finn, although the during-intervention Peak season FWMC was lower in the Derg than post-intervention, suggesting practice reversion. The farmer survey and workshops provided further evidence of changes in pesticide usage, but also subsequent practice reversion due to a strong status quo bias for MCPA and other, mainly financial, barriers inhibiting a shift to the alternative pesticide, glyphosate. This study concludes that catchment approaches can be successful, but sustained investment in catchment measures is essential to effect meaningful long-term behavioural change.

Water quality for citizen confidence: The implementation process of 2020 EU Drinking Water Directive in Nordic countries

Water quality for citizen confidence: The implementation process of 2020 EU Drinking Water Directive in Nordic countries

Water Quality and Associated Human Health Risk Assessment Related to Some Ions and Trace Elements in a Series of Rural Roma Communities in Transylvania, Romania

This research aims to assess the content of some ions and trace elements in water sources in 24 rural Roma communities in Transylvania in order to assess the human health risk associated with exposure to such elements and ions. To this end, eight ions (F−, Cl−, Br−, NO2−, NO3−, SO42−, PO43−, NH4+) and ten trace elements (Cr, Ni, As, Pb, Cd, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Hg) were determined in 71 water samples by ion chromatography coupled with a conductivity detector for ions and atomic absorption spectrophotometry for all trace elements. General parameters were also determined. Non-conformity (as number of samples), according to the EU Drinking Water Directive, was observed as follows: pH (7), EC (7), hardness (1), oxidizability (15), Cl− (4), NO3− (30), SO42− (6), Fe (16), Mn (14), As (3), and Ni (1 sample). The incidence of ions was Cl− (71), SO42− (70), F− (67), NO3− (65), NH4+ (21), Br− (10), PO43−, and NO2− (1 sample) and for trace elements, Mn (59), Fe (50), As (38), Ni (32), Cu (29), Zn (28), Cd (12), Cr (11), and Pb (3 samples). Hg was not detected. Non-carcinogenic (HI) values exceeded one for As in 13 Roma communities, with higher values for children than for adults. For NO3−, the HI values were >1 in 12 for adults and 14 communities for children. The carcinogenic risk (CR) for As through ingestion ranged from 0.795 to 3.50 × 10−4 for adults and from 1.215 to 5.30 × 10−4 for children. CR by dermal contact was in the range of ×10−6 both for adults and children.

The occurrence and persistence of PFAS at riverbank filtration sites in the Upper Danube basin

PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals used for many industrial and domestic purposes. However, once released in the environment, they are persistent, mobile and toxic. One of the most important transport routes to drinking water is through riverbank filtration. Although this is usually an effective strategy for removing many organic compounds, its effectiveness in removing PFAS is still unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the occurrence, as well as the spatial distribution of PFAS at riverbank filtration sites and compare these to two pharmaceuticals and various chemical parameters. A one-year sampling campaign was carried out at four transects with different characteristics along the Danube river. Samples were analysed using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry.Results show that most of the detected PFAS compounds had concentrations lower than 10 ng/l. NaADONA had the highest concentration at all the sites, indicating the presence of an emission source upstream of the monitored sites. For most compounds, there was no concentration reduction between the river and groundwater, implying that no removal processes take place. This was further confirmed with statistical tests, which showed no significant differences between river- and groundwater concentrations. Two sites in Budapest showed higher concentrations of PFOA, PFOS, and GenX in the background water compared to the river, indicating an inland source of these compounds. The current situation imposes no problems for drinking water as the measured concentrations are lower than the legal limit set by the EU Drinking Water Directive. However, any future legal or industrial changes could create problems since results suggest that these compounds are not removed during riverbank filtration.

Ecological and health risk assessment and quantitative source apportionment of dissolved metals in ponds used for drinking and irrigation purposes.

In this study, dissolved metal levels of 10 different ponds used as irrigation and drinking water sources in the north of Saros Bay (Türkiye) were evaluated using multivariate statistical methods, contamination and ecological risk indices, and absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR). The mean levels of metals in the ponds ranged from 0.045µg/L (Cd) to 127µg/L (Mn). Pond 7 used for drinking water source had the lowest total metal level. Only Mn levels in two ponds (P1 and P2) slightly exceeded the critical value set by EU Drinking Water Directive. However, the levels of all metals in all ponds were lower than the critical values set for irrigation water and aquatic life. According to the heavy metal pollution index (HPI), five ponds showed low metal pollution in terms of drinking water quality, four ponds showed moderate metal pollution, and one pond (P1) showed moderate to heavy pollution. According to the Nemerow pollution index (NPI) values (0.26-1.82), ponds P1 and P2 showed slight metal pollution, while other ponds showed insignificant metal pollution. Contamination degree (CD) values of ponds varied between 0.95 and 3.33, indicating that all ponds showed low pollution. In terms of irrigation water quality, all ponds showed low or insignificant metal pollution according to the HPI, NPI, and CD values. According to the ecological risk index (ERI) values, metals in all ponds posed low ecological risks for both drinking and irrigation purposes. Factor analysis identified two potential sources: mixed sources and natural sources. The APCS-MLR model results revealed that mixed sources and natural sources contributed 78.99% and 21.01% to dissolved metals in the ponds, respectively. Health risk assessment results indicated that both individual and combined metals in the ponds would not cause non-carcinogenic risks to both adults and children. Similarly, it was found that Cr and As would not cause carcinogenic risks to the residents of the region.

Assessment of drinking water safety in the Netherlands using nationwide exposure and mortality data.

Although drinking water in the Netherlands is generally accepted as safe, public concern about health risks of long-term intake still exist. The aim was to explore associations between drinking water quality for nitrate, water hardness, calcium and magnesium and causes-of-death as related to cardiovascular diseases amongst which coronary heart disease and colorectal cancer. We used national administrative databases on cause-specific mortality, personal characteristics, residential history, social economic indicators, air quality and drinking water quality for parameters specified by the EU Drinking Water Directive. We put together a cohort of 6,998,623 persons who were at least 30years old on January 1, 2008 and lived for at least five years on the same address. The average drinking water concentration over 2000-2010 at the production stations were used as exposure indicators. We applied age stratified Cox proportional hazards models. Magnesium was associated with a reduced risk for mortality due to coronary heart diseases: HR of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.90, 0.99) per 10mg/L increase. For mortality due to cardiovascular diseases, a 100mg/L increase in calcium was associated with a HR of 1.08 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.13) and an increase of 2.5mmol/L of water hardness with a HR of 1.06 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.10). The results show an elevated risk for coronary heart disease mortality at calcium concentrations below 30mg/L, but over the whole exposure range no exposure response relation was observed. For other combinations of drinking water quality parameters and cause-specific mortality studied, no statistical significant associations were identified. We identified in this explorative study a protective effect of magnesium for the risk of mortality to coronary heart disease. Also we found an increased risk of mortality due to cardiovascular disease associated with the concentration of calcium and the water hardness in drinking water.

Is it time to update the EU Drinking Water Directive based on scientific data on pesticides?

Is it time to update the EU Drinking Water Directive based on scientific data on pesticides?

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through drinking water in Barcelona metropolitan area

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of water-soluble chemicals of concern due to their persistence, widespread human exposure and associated adverse health outcomes across all life stages. Drinking water is one of the main routes of human exposure to PFAS. METHODS: We assessed 38 PFAS in 64 drinking water samples sourced from tap water (N=42, one per postal code), bottled (N=11), activated carbon (N=6) and reverse osmosis (N=5) filtered tap water in Barcelona, Spain. Liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine PFAS. Physico-chemical properties including residual chlorine, total organic carbon and conductivity were also measured. Water consumption habits of study participants (N=39) were collected through online questionnaires. RESULTS:The most abundant PFAS in unfiltered tap water were perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) [3 ng/L (2.0-5.0)] -among 64% samples above the limit of quantification (LOQ)-, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) [14 ng/L (10-18)] -31%-, perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) [3 ng/L (2.25-4)] -52%-, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) [11 ng/L (10-12)] -12%-, perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) [9 ng/L (6.5-14.5)] -64%-, and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) [12.5 ng/L (10-14)] -52%-, with corresponding median (interquartile range, IQR). The median concentration of total PFAS was 29 ng/L (IQR=24-51), among 79% of tap water samples with PFAS LOQ. Individual PFAS displayed a range of positive correlations (Spearman, two-tailed) between r=0.36 (p=0.02) and r=0.67, (p0.001). Conductivity showed a geographical pattern linked to the tap water source, and a positive correlation (r=0.75, p0.001) with total PFAS. Reverse osmosis removed PFAS from tap water, while activated carbon filters did not. PFAS were not detected in bottled water. The mean consumption of water at home was 1.4L/day, and 0.8L/day outside of home. The main source of water was tap (43%) at home, and bottled or filtered (37.5% each) outside. CONCLUSIONS:Concentrations were below the EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 PFAS Total parametric value (100 ng/L). KEYWORDS: PFAS, Exposure assessment, Chemical exposures, Water quality

Estimating pesticides in public drinking water at the household level in Denmark

Pesticide pollution has raised public concern in Denmark due to potential negative health impacts and frequent findings of new substances after a recent expansion of the groundwater monitoring programme. Danish drinking water comes entirely from groundwater. Both the raw groundwater and the treated drinking water are regularly monitored, and the chemical analyses are reported to a publicly available national database (Jupiter). Based on these data, in this study we (1) provide a status of pesticide content in drinking water supplied by public waterworks in Denmark and (2) assess the proportion of Danish households exposed to pesticides from drinking water. ‘Pesticides’ here refers also to their metabolites, degradation and reaction products. The cleaned dataset represents 3004 public waterworks distributed throughout the country and includes 39 798 samples of treated drinking water analysed for 449 pesticides (971 723 analyses total) for the period 2002–2019. Of all these chemical analyses, 0.5% (n = 4925) contained a quantified pesticide (>0.03 μg/l). Pesticides were found at least once in the treated drinking water at 29% of all sampled public waterworks for the period 2002–2019 and at 21% of the waterworks for the recent period 2015–2019. We estimate that 56% of all Danish households were potentially exposed at least once to pesticides in drinking water at concentrations of 0.03–4.00 μg/l between 2002 and 2019. However, in 2015–2019, the proportion of the Danish households exposed to pesticides (0.03–4.00 μg/l) was 41%. The proportion of Danish households potentially exposed at least once to pesticides above the maximum allowed concentration (0.1 μg/l) according to the EU Drinking Water Directive (and the Danish drinking water standard) was 19% for 2002–2019 and 11% for 2015–2019. However, the maximum concentrations were lower than the World Health Organization’s compound-specific guidelines. Lastly, we explore data complexity and discuss the limitations imposed by data heterogeneity to facilitate future epidemiological studies.

The new EU Drinking Water Directive

Mitte Dezember 2020 soll nun nach über zwei Jahren an Verhandlungen die neue EU-Trinkwasserrichtlinie veröffentlicht werden. Eine Vielzahl an neuen Bestimmungen, wie z. B. die Einführung neuer chemischer und physikalischer Parameter, die verpflichtende Durchführung einer Risikobewertung auf drei Ebenen, Mindesthygieneanforderungen für Materialien in Kontakt mit Trinkwasser oder die Verankerung des Zugangs zu Trinkwasser für alle, wird dadurch eingeführt. Die damit einhergehende Ausweitung der Zuständigkeiten im Vergleich zur derzeit gültigen Richtlinie stellt viele Mitgliedsstaaten vor Herausforderungen. Nach den intensiven Diskussionen auf europäischer Ebene gehen diese daher jetzt auf nationaler Ebene weiter.

Regulations for calcium, magnesium or hardness in drinking water in the European Union member states

Very low or very high concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) or total hardness in drinking water have been empirically recognized as the cause of the problems with corrosion, scaling, or taste of water. A large body of scientific evidence over the last 60 years has also attributed health problems to both extremes of these minerals in water. For example, drinking water low in Mg significantly increases the likelihood of cardiovascular mortality. This knowledge is not properly considered in the drinking water quality regulations, especially as more and more water is now produced by desalination disturbing its natural mineral composition. Although the current EU Drinking Water Directive does not include limits for hardness, Ca or Mg, most member states regulate these parameters either through law (12 countries) or technical guidance (7 countries), and several countries have issued educational information for the public. However, the regulations in most countries are not based on current research and not comparable because some provide a recommended range while others provide mandatory minimum or maximum limit values. This summary of the situation in 28 European Union countries is intended to provide information that can contribute to the implementation of the revised EU Directive.

Drinking Water and Public Health Risk

Drinking water is a social determinant to disease, a powerful determinant of health and also promotes socioeconomic development yet public health is failing to protect the public with poor drinking water quality posing a threat to public health. Major sources of of ground and surface contamination are landfill and human sewerage. Irish Water have consecutively failed year after year to meet safety standards for bromate, nickel, nitrite, copper, pesticides, arsenic, fluoride, lead, trihalomethanes (THM) so no matter what you think about the addition of hexafluorosilicic acid to drinking water as a public health measure, it is in our water in illegal and unsafe amounts hence by definition poses a risk to public health. The EU Drinking Water Directive does not contain standards for microplastics. Existing drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment processes are inadequate at removing persistent toxic substances (PTS) from water. Bottled water contains endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), heavy metals, pesticides, persistent toxic substances and even gastrointestinal microbes. The following review article refers to Irish drinking public drinking water supplies however the issues reflect those in many first-world countries.

Assessment of drinking water safety in the Netherlands using nationwide exposure and mortality data

OPS 25: Drinking water contamination and adult health, Room 411, Floor 4, August 26, 2019, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Background: Drinking water in the Netherlands is generally accepted as safe. Although risk assessments for constituents point to large margins of safety between concentrations and health-based guideline values, public concern about health risks of long-term intake still exist. We explored associations between drinking water quality and causes-of-death using national databases. Methods: The cohort consisted of 6,998,623 persons who were at least 30 years old on January 1 2008 and lived at least five years on the same address. We evaluated mortality due to a natural cause, cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease, lung cancer or colon cancer. Home addresses in 1800 drinking water provision areas were linked to 233 production stations. The REWAB database with drinking water quality for parameters mentioned in the EU Drinking Water Directive was used to assess the average concentration of arsenic, nitrate, hardness, calcium and magnesium over 2000-2010 at the production stations. We applied age stratified Cox proportional hazards models with province as random effect. We adjusted for sex, marital status, country of origin, household income, socio-economic status, PM10 and NO2. Results: 453,035 persons died during the five year follow up period of a natural cause. For mortality due to cardiovascular diseases, a 100 mg/l increase in calcium was associated with a HR of 1.08 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.13) and an increase of 2.5 mmol/l of water hardness with a HR of 1.06 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.10). Magnesium was associated with a reduced risk for mortality due to coronary heart diseases: HR of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.90, 0.99) per 10 mg/l increase. For other combinations studied, no statistical significant associations were identified. Conclusions: The observed inverse relation for magnesium is in line with the literature. The results for calcium and hardness will be discussed in the light of the literature and of potential sources of bias.

Drinking Water Treatment Plants in Turkey and Determination of Revision Needs

Drinking water quality is regulated by Regulation Concerning Water Intended for Human Consumption by Ministry of Health in Turkey. As in the process of becoming a member state of EU, Turkish regulation is compatible with EU Drinking Water Directive. This study revealed that there are 489 drinking water treatment plants, 397 of which are under operation. Within this work, identity cards for these active plants were prepared. Process selection of these plants were specified. A GIS-based program called ISBIS is developed and all data collected within this work is uploaded to the database. Site-visits to 193 selected plants were conducted and site-visit reports focusing on operational and structural issues at these plants are issued. As a result of this work, it appeared that 37 drinking water treatment plants out of 193 site-visited need to be reconstructed. Also, it was observed that most of the drinking water treatment plants are not capable of removing micropollutants, and will need major revisions.

Comparison of different monitoring methods for the measurement of metaldehyde in surface waters

Metaldehyde is recognised as an emerging contaminant. It is a powerful molluscicide and is the active compound in many types of slug pellets used for the protection of crops. The application of pellets to land generally takes place between August and December when slugs thrive. Due to its high use and physico-chemical properties, metaldehyde can be present in the aquatic environment at concentrations above the EU Drinking Water Directive limit of 100 ng L−1 for a single pesticide. Such high concentrations are problematic when these waters are used in the production of drinking water. Being able to effectively monitor this pollutant of concern is important. We compared four different monitoring techniques (spot and automated bottle sampling, on-line gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and passive sampling) to estimate the concentration of metaldehyde. Trials were undertaken in the Mimmshall Brook catchment (Hertfordshire, UK) and in a feed in a drinking water treatment plant for differing periods between 17th October and 31st December 2017. This period coincided with the agricultural application of metaldehyde. Overall, there was a good agreement between the concentrations measured by the four techniques, each providing complementary information. The highest resolution data was obtained using the on-line GC/MS. During the study, there was a large exceedance (500 ng L−1) of metaldehyde that entered the treatment plant; but this was not related to rainfall in the area. Each monitoring method had its own advantages and disadvantages for monitoring investigations, particularly in terms of cost and turn-a-round time of data.

Integrated catchment management for reducing pesticide levels in water: Engaging with stakeholders in East Anglia to tackle metaldehyde

In the agriculture intensive eastern region of England, plant protection products are widely applied to protect crops such as wheat and oilseed rape from pests and diseases, thus creating a risk of reaching nearby water courses through surface runoff. The EU Drinking Water Directive sets a stringent limit of 0.1 μg/l and 0.5 μg/l for individual and total pesticides respectively in treated potable water. However, peak metaldehyde levels have been persistently detected in raw water and reducing them to these limits has proven challenging and costly, in particular when using conventional treatment. In line with the EU Water Framework Directive, a more suitable approach and one adopted by the local water company, Anglian Water Services Ltd., would require moving towards mitigating pollution at source, preferably through participative action with multiple stakeholders in the agricultural industry. Initial findings demonstrate the potential of product substitution for reducing metaldehyde levels in surface waters. Reviewing Anglian Water's “Slug it Out” trial, we discuss key learnings derived from their experiences and make recommendations about the potential of the catchment approach to address the wider pesticide challenge.

Calibration and application of the Chemcatcher\xae passive sampler for monitoring acidic herbicides in the River Exe, UK catchment

Acidic herbicides are used to control broad-leaved weeds. They are stable, water-soluble, and with low binding to soil are found frequently in surface waters, often at concentrations above the EU Drinking Water Directive limit of 0.10 μg L−1. This presents a problem when such waters are abstracted for potable supplies. Understanding their sources, transport and fate in river catchments is important. We developed a new Chemcatcher® passive sampler, comprising a 3M Empore™ anion-exchange disk overlaid with a polyethersulphone membrane, for monitoring acidic herbicides (2,4-D, dicamba, dichlorprop, fluroxypyr, MCPA, MCPB, mecoprop, tricolpyr). Sampler uptake rates (Rs = 0.044–0.113 L day−1) were measured in the laboratory. Two field trials using the Chemcatcher® were undertaken in the River Exe catchment, UK. Time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations of the herbicides obtained using the Chemcatcher® were compared with concentrations measured in spot samples of water. The two techniques gave complimentary monitoring data, with the samplers being able to measure stochastic inputs of MCPA and mecoprop occurring in field trial 1. Chemcatcher® detected a large input of MCPA not found by spot sampling during field trial 2. Devices also detected other pesticides and pharmaceuticals with acidic properties. Information obtained using the Chemcatcher® can be used to develop improved risk assessments and catchment management plans and to assess the effectiveness of any mitigation and remediation strategies.

Calibration and field evaluation of the Chemcatcher® passive sampler for monitoring metaldehyde in surface water

Metaldehyde is a potent molluscicide. It is the active ingredient in most slug pellets used for crop protection. This polar compound is considered an emerging pollutant. Due to its environmental mobility, metaldehyde is frequently detected at impacted riverine sites, often at concentrations above the EU Drinking Water Directive limit of 0.1µgL−1 for an individual pesticide. This presents a problem when such waters are abstracted for use in the production of potable water supplies, as this chemical is difficult to remove using conventional treatment processes. Understanding the sources, transport and fate of this pollutant in river catchments is therefore important. We developed a new variant of the Chemcatcher® passive sampler for monitoring metaldehyde comprising a Horizon Atlantic™ HLB-L disk as the receiving phase overlaid with a polyethersulphone membrane. The sampler uptake rate (Rs) was measured in semi-static laboratory (Rs = 15.7mLday−1) and in-field (Rs = 17.8mLday−1) calibration experiments. Uptake of metaldehyde was linear over a two-week period, with no measurable lag phase. Field trials (five consecutive 14day periods) using the Chemcatcher® were undertaken in eastern England at three riverine sites (4th September-12th November 2015) known to be impacted by the seasonal agricultural use of metaldehyde. Spot samples of water were collected regularly during the deployments, with concentrations of metaldehyde varying widely (~ 0.03–2.90µgL−1) and often exceeding the regulatory limit. Time weighted average concentrations obtained using the Chemcatcher® increased over the duration of the trial corresponding to increasing stochastic inputs of metaldehyde into the catchment. Monitoring data obtained from these devices gives complementary information to that obtained by the use of infrequent spot sampling procedures. This information can be used to develop risk assessments and catchment management plans and to assess the effectiveness of any mitigation and remediation strategies.

Human exposure assessment to antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli through drinking water

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) are a potential threat to human health through drinking water with strong evidence of ARB presence in post treated tap water around the world. This study examines potential human exposure to antibiotic-resistant (AR) Escherichia coli (E. coli) through drinking water, the effect of different drinking water treatments on AR E. coli and the concentration of AR E. coli required in the source water for the EU Drinking Water Directive (DWD) (Council Directive 98/83/EC, 0CFU/100ml of E. coli in drinking water) to be exceeded. A number of scenarios were evaluated to examine different water treatment combinations and to reflect site specific conditions at a study site in Europe. A literature search was carried out to collate data on the effect of environmental conditions on AR E. coli, the effect of different water treatments on AR E. coli and typical human consumption levels of tap water. A human exposure assessment model was developed with probability distributions used to characterise uncertainty and variability in the input data. Overall results show the mean adult human exposure to AR E. coli from tap water consumption ranged between 3.44×10–7 and 2.95×10–1cfu/day for the scenarios tested and varied depending on the water treatments used. The level of AR E. coli required in the source water pre-treatment to exceed the DWD varied between 1 and 5logcfu/ml, depending on the water treatments used. This can be used to set possible monitoring criteria in pre-treated water for potential ARB exposure in drinking water.

Durability of the non-dezincification resistant CuZn40Pb2 brass in Scandinavian waters

Abstract Typically water quality in Scandinavia has low alkalinity and hardness, and is consequently corrosive to the metallic materials. During the last years brass materials used in drinking water systems have been under discussion because of the amount of the lead content and relevant migration into the drinking water. In Scandinavia the requirement for the use of dezincification resistant brass in drinking water installations is widely utilized and hence, CuZn36Pb2As (CW602N) brass alloy is the type of brass that is mostly installed. In this study, the use of non-dezincification resistant brass alloy CuZn40Pb2 (CW617N) in drinking water systems in Rauma, Finland is examined using real-life distribution network built in the office building Technology Center Sytytin. This brass alloy is accepted to use in fittings or ancillaries in contact with drinking water for example in Germany and in the Netherlands. The acceptance is based on metal leaching data from a long-term rig test (EN 15664-1), showing that the release of lead and other harmful metals is below the parametric values given in the EU's Drinking Water Directive. In this study the brass couplings manufactured from CuZn40Pb2 brass possess dezincification after five years of use in drinking water systems delivering water from Rauma water work. The main reason for the dezincification type of corrosion lies in the high sulfate and chloride concentrations as well as in low alkalinity. In this case the high concentrations of sulfate are mainly responsible of the dezincification of brass couplings. Typically, due to the aggressiveness of the water and consequent general corrosion from all brass materials, the drinking water quality is deteriorated by high dissolved concentrations of lead, copper and zinc. It is evident that CuZn40Pb2 brass cannot be used and demand for the use of dezincification resistant brass in water systems is extremely important in order to avoid expensive failures and problems caused by leakages.